The Fall that Saved Mahmud’s Life!

A few weeks ago, 5-year-old Mahmud seriously injured his head at home when he fell down the stairs. He was brought to Schneider Children’s in an unconscious condition and on a ventilator. Following a CT, wide-spread intra-cranial hemorrhage was seen along with several fractures of the skull. The child was immediately transferred to surgery to drain the bleeding. After the operation, he was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Schneider Children’s headed by Dr. Elchanan Nahum, where he recovered and regained full consciousness the day after the operation.

In a repeat post-operative CT scan, all the bleeding had drained. To the surprise of doctors, a suspicious growth was seen that was unconnected to the original injury. Following the unusual finding, and in order to complete the investigation, an MRI was done which confirmed the suspicion – the child suffered from a brain tumor in a most sensitive and critical area of the brain.

Dr. Shalom Michowiz, Director of the Neurosurgical Unit at Schneider Children’s, together with senior neurosurgeon Dr. Gustavo Reis, decided to operate without delay in order to remove the tumor. The child underwent the surgery a few days later and the tumor was removed in its entirety. The child suffered no ill-effects, recovered satisfactorily, was discharged and will soon return to his kindergarten.

Dr. Reis noted that “there is no doubt that the child’s fall saved his life. Because of the second CT, we were able to discover the brain tumor. Luckily, the child underwent surgery at an early stage of the disease and the early discovery will increase his chances for a full recovery with no recurrence.”