China boy, 6, discovers lump in throat that was initially thought to be ‘undeveloped twin’

6-centimetre growth in youngster’s throat removed by doctors in risky operation; boy regains appetite, asks for steamed buns

A six-year-old Chinese boy was diagnosed with a lump in his throat, which doctors said was his “twin brother”.

The youngster, Xiaoliang, had been snoring heavily for the past six months, and only ate soft food. His mother, surnamed Liu, found it odd and took him for a medical examination.

Their local hospital said he had an egg-sized tumour in his throat, adding that they could not treat the disease.

Liu then took Xiaoliang to the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. There, an ear, nose and throat specialist, Chen Chao, made a further diagnosis.

Chen said the “tumour” was a teratoma with fat and cartilage. According to the Shanghai Media Group, Xiaoliang’s teratoma was initially likened to an “undeveloped twin brother”.

However, the theory was immediately refuted by some medical experts on social media. An obstetrics and gynaecology expert said a teratoma is different from an absorbed sibling.

“Although some teratomas have hair, teeth and fat, they are grown from the patients’ own cells,” the expert said.