–neurosurgery team removes ‘human tail’ from 10-day-old boy

THE unique presentation of a pathology such as the ‘human tail’ is not only rare to Guyana but also the world.

According to a press release, this is a rare congenital anomaly which mostly presents immediately after birth or in early childhood, and there are less than 60 cases documented in medical literature of caudal appendage or the human tail.

The human tail is usually considered as a marker of underlying pathology of peculiar spinal dysraphism.

The reported presentations of spinal dysraphism includes spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and spinal lipoma or tethered spinal cord. However, the etiological basis of the human tail is not clear yet.

On June 18, 2023, a medical team at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) led by Chief Neurosurgeon, Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, successfully performed a procedure to remove the tail and reconstruct the spinal canal of a 10-day-old boy; this is a sophisticated technique which also required the protection of the patient’s spinal nerves. The infant has since been discharged from the hospital.

The 10-day-old baby was born with a tail which is basically a continuation of the spine/spinal nerve elements. The successful removal of this appendage will allow the child to develop normally, the hospital said.

“While a human baby having a caudal appendage resembling a tail generates an unusual amount of interest, excitement, and anxiety, often, parents may be concerned about the social stigma, superstition or shame that may befall their young child when integrated into society.

“Due to its extremely rare presentation, the occurrence of the human tail is a phenomenon of great interest to both the lay and medical community,” GPHC said.

As a tertiary medical institution with a commitment to medical education and research, neurosurgery, the hospital will be presenting this case to the global medical community for documentation and review.