'Harmless pimple' on little girl's head grew into a life-threatening swelling

11 November 2023 , 19:50

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Scans of the brain are featured in a research document called Clinical Case Reports (Image: Wiley)

A girl was left battling a deadly infection after developing a seemingly harmless pimple.

The youngster's spot on her forehead grew into a large, painful swelling so her parents decided to take her to the hospital. Doctors there discovered it was likely the 12-year-old girl's pimple was caused by an insect bite experienced several months prior.

Medics in Iran noted the child's lump was "hard", "shiny" and "painful to the touch". Scans showed that the mass, which had since grown to around the size of a tennis ball, was buried in her frontal lobe, part of the brain responsible for memory and emotions.

The medics diagnosed the girl with a pott's puffy tumour (PPT) a rare but dangerous complication of sinusitis or a sinus infection. It happens when infectious fluid builds in the forehead.

The growth can also emerge as a result of head trauma, surgery, cocaine abuse, tooth infection and insect bites. Left untreated, it can lead to brain swelling diseases like meningitis, encephalitis or a brain infection.

Cherished girl, 3, who spent half her life in hospital dies before surgery

The young girl was given a heavy dose of antibiotics after the lump on her forehead was drained of infection during surgery, which included a craniotomy. A craniotomy is a surgical operation in which a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain. Six months after the major operation, the mass had not re-emerged, and the doctors gave the child a clean bill of health.

The Mirror recently told how stings are different to bites. Dr James Logan, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "A sting comes from the rear end of the insect and involves the injection of venom (a toxin), while a bite, where the insect injects saliva into the skin, comes from the front.

"They also feel different. A sting often creates an immediate burning sensation and you’re usually aware of the insect nearby. Biting insects are often smaller (except horseflies) so are harder to spot."

Bradley Jolly