Horrific ‘Devil’s horn’ removed from man’s head

A 74-year-old man, identified as Shyam Lal Yadav of Madhya Pradesh’s Rahli village, injured his head in 2014, which caused the development of a rare cutaneous horn (10 cm), that grew out of the top of his skull.

Despite being shaved off time and again by a local barber, the horn grew rapidly, leading Shyam Lal to seek medical help. Surgery was performed at the Bhagyoday Tirth Hospital in Sagar city. The surgeon reportedly said, “Around five years ago the patient had hurt his head after which a lump started growing. Initially, he ignored it as it did not cause any discomfort. Also, he got the growth cut by the local barber. But when the lump hardened and started growing further, he approached the hospital at Sagar. As the horn is composed of keratin, the horn can usually be removed with a sterile razor. However, the underlying condition will still need to be treated.”

Regarding the nature of the horn and further treatment of it, Dr. Gajbhiye said, “The sebaceous horns are predominantly benign lesions however the possibility of malignant potential should always be kept in mind. Treatments vary, but they can include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.” A biopsy of the horn has proved it to be harmless.