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A woman who went to the doctor after suffering from regular abdominal pain has been left stunned at what an MRI scan revealed.
When Emma Forrest (@emmaaforrestt) shared her scan on social media, one TikTok user with an untrained eye took to the comments asking, “Um…is it missing?”
Her liver, she later clarified, was not missing. Rather, a 15-centimeter tumor had grown on it.
In the comment section, Forrest gave some further information: “Unfortunately, a not-so-simple tumor, but dressed up like a simple cyst on the surface!”
While she did not go into further details about her medical diagnosis, some comments suggested that what she may be suffering from is a hepatic adenoma, a rare benign liver tumor.
Luckily, this type of tumor is non-cancerous and will not spread to other areas of the body, but it can still be scary for patients.
Though hepatic adenomas are very rare, it is more common for women to develop them, as they are linked to the use of birth control pills.
Symptoms of Hepatic Adenomas
Often, they do not cause any symptoms, but can sometimes cause pain, bloating or a lump in the stomach area.
If the tumor bursts, some symptoms to look out for include:
- Severe belly pain
- Vomiting
- Stomach bloating
- A cold sweat
- A rapid pulse.
If any of these symptoms occur, it is important to seek out immediate medical attention.
While Forrest herself has not confirmed whether this is the type of tumor that she has developed, many TikTok users commended her ability to stay calm in the face of a scary medical situation.
“That’s a really hard and scary thing to say out loud,” one wrote. “I’m proud of you. And I’m so so sorry you’re having to learn how to handle scary things like this. It’s not fair.”
Others questioned how the tumor had reached that size undiscovered, asking whether doctors had questioned her symptoms earlier or written them off as something less serious.
“Let me guess, prior to the MRI, the [doctor] said you would feel better if you lost weight, moved more or controlled your stress/anxiety?” another theorized.
Unfortunately, women have long been treated differently than men by doctors due to ingrained gender biases.
“Women wait an average of 30 minutes longer than men to be seen; we’re also less likely to receive pain relievers for the same complaints,” writes a Harvard Health study.
This issue has affected women throughout history. In fact, the word “hysterical” originates from the Greek word hystera, meaning “womb.” The term originally referred to a neurotic condition in women.
The problem persists today, however. In November 2023, a study reported that “gender-pain exaggeration bias” leads some people to conclude that women are more likely to overstate their pain, causing their very real symptoms to be overlooked.
Forrest has not disclosed whether she experienced these biases, yet this issue is very real for numerous women seeking medical care.
For diagnoses like hepatic adenomas, which primarily affect women, knowing that doctors may not take their pain seriously is a women’s health issue that remains even in the modern era.
Newsweek has reached out to @emmaaforrestt for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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