Thai woman’s breasts won’t stop growing because of mysterious condition that has baffled doctors and left her unable to work or move without crutches.
A woman has been left unable to walk without crutches due to a mystery condition that has caused her breasts to grow uncontrollably.
Lam Phrai Si Nuan, of Thailand, suffers from excruciating neck, shoulder and back pain because of her gigantic bosom.
Local reports claim the 46-year-old is forced to wear a heavy cloth tied behind her neck to support her breasts.
She first noticed her breasts getting bigger three years ago but said they started growing exponentially around nine months ago.
Mrs Lam Phrai, from a village in Phitsanulok province, claims doctors have been unable to diagnose or treat her.
Her left breast grew first for four to five months, according to local reports, then the right one grew afterwards.
But medics based at Phutthachinarat Hospital have ruled out cancerous tumours, Phitsanulok News reports.
She is scheduled for a thorough medical exam on July 19 – but fears she won’t be able to pick up the bill as her and her husband are both unemployed.
Mrs Lam Phrai is now appealing to the public for financial support, according to the report by a local journalist.
She’s currently hobbling around on wooden crutches and the weight of her breasts puts constant pressure on her spine.
The overgrowth causes pain in her nipple but not the breast surrounding it.
Doctors haven’t yet diagnosed Mrs Lam Phrai but have ruled out cancer.
Breast hypertrophy – of which one form is gigantomastia – is one medical condition that can cause breasts to grow uncontrollably.
Gigantomastia is rare, according to the US Department of Health, but there are no estimates for the number of women who have it.
It can cause stretching of the skin, which can sometimes lead to sores appearing. The condition can affect both breasts, or in some cases just one.
WHAT IS GIGANTOMASTIA?
The rare condition sees breast tissue quickly become abnormally enlarged.
The condition is usually diagnosed when the breasts weigh more than three per cent of the total body weight.
It is thought to be caused by a heightened sensitivity to female hormones prolactin, oestrogen and progesterone – or an abnormally elevated level of these hormones in the blood, or both.
Sometimes it occurs naturally in pregnancy, but usually the breasts shrink again a few months after the baby is born.
Breast reduction surgery is commonly offered to most patients, in order to reduce the size of their breasts to be more proportional to their body.
Surgeons say it can reduce discomfort in the back, neck and shoulders, while also improve sleep quality and help with insecurities.
Studies have repeatedly shown the condition, which often develops in adolescence, can be detrimental to the mental health of teen girls.
Figures are unclear as to how common the condition is, however it has been branded rare in various medical reports.
