“Do not remove it under any circumstances!” one viewer warned. “My grandmother had a similar growth removed and passed away just days later!”
A 107-year-old woman in China went viral after she showcased a large 4-inch “horn” growing on her forehead
Image credits: Sabine van Erp/Pixabay
The horn has no magical properties or health benefits despite what Chen’s followers may believe.
Dermatologists describe these strange occurrences as cutaneous horns, rare, cone-shaped skin growths akin to animal horns, coral, or wood that are more common in older patients around 60 to 70.
The “horns” are caused by an overgrowth of the skin’s foremost superficial layer, the epidermis, and are thus white or yellow. They are usually benign, causing no damage to the person other than potentially breaking or causing inflammation.
Half of them, however, are described as pre-malignant or fully malignant, which means they are indicative of skin cancer. While both types of horns look similar, dangerous ones are more common in older patients and males than females.
The malignant variant is called Squamous Cell Carcinoma and is more likely if the horn is painful, large, has significant induration at the base, features a broad base, and has a degree of redness.
Dermatologists urge patients to remove the horns to examine the tissue and determine whether they are benign or cancerous
While some of Chen’s viewers pleaded with her family not to remove the massive horn on her forehead, doctors recommend excision as soon as possible to examine the tissue and determine whether the growth is benign or malignant.
“Histological examination of the horn base is crucial to rule out malignancy,” explained Dr. Tina Tian of Hawke’s Bay Hospital in New Zealand. “There are no certain clinical features that can definitively distinguish benign lesions from skin cancer.”
Cutaneous horns can effectively grow anywhere on the body, including private areas, but are more common on sun-exposed areas like the head, ears, back of the hands, forearms, neck, or shoulders.
According to Dr. Tian, it’s impossible to assess whether Chen’s horn is indicative of a type of cancer, but before-and-after photos show that the horn has doubled in size in recent years, developing a large base and becoming darker in color.
Chen’s horn isn’t the first time the growth has made someone famous, with a 19th-century French woman holding the record for the largest at 10-inches
While Chen’s horn is impressive in its own right, it pales in comparison to Madame Dimanche’s, a 19th-century French woman who is said to have grown the most prominent and thickest cutaneous horn in history.
At almost 10 inches, Dimanche’s forehead growth grew rapidly over six years, first developing when she was 76 years old.
Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter, an American surgeon born in 1811, is one of the pioneers of plastic surgery. He dedicated his career to helping people who had experienced severe burns or deformities. He collected various artifacts throughout his life, including a wax replica of Dimanche’s face before her horn was removed.
The wax visage shows a massive, tree branch-like horn growing above Dimanche’s right eye and extending below her jaw. The replica is currently stored at the Mütter Museum in Pennsylvania, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
Netizens reacted with curiosity, squeamishness, wonder, and concern at Chen’s horn. Some urged her family to remove it, while others advised against it due to her advanced age
Image credits: muttermuseumstore
“Wait for it, the supplement sellers will soon be marketing ‘extend your life with horn powder,’” one reader joked.
“Seriously, why wouldn’t someone want to get that removed as soon as possible?” another wrote. “Because of her age, it’s too risky,” a user replied.
“Judging by all the freckles, she has spent much time in the sun. Thus, the growth,” another explained.
“That poor lady having that grotesque thing protruding from her forehead. I would have had it taken off long before it reached that size,” another pointed out.
“Wait, so if we live past a 100 we become unicorns?” one user asked, while others joined in to joke about Chen’s unusual feature
