Get a load of this hard-boiled horror.
After years of silent growth, doctors were shell-shocked to discover a tumor nestled inside a Chinese man’s scrotum that had ballooned to the size of a chicken’s egg.
With no other symptoms, the oversized lump was the only sign of a condition so rare it’s been documented just a handful of times in medical literature.
The patient was a 59-year-old man who finally sought medical help after living with swelling in his left scrotum for two years, a problem that had “seriously affected” his daily life, urologist Lianglong Zhang and colleagues wrote in a case report.
A herdsman from a remote mountain village, the man had limited education and paid little attention to his health.
“That may be why the tumor grew to so big until he came to hospital for treatment,” the researchers theorized.
His left testicle had swollen dramatically, measuring about 123 by 168 mm. (4.84 in. by 6.61 in. ) — three to four times larger than normal. Inside, doctors found a well-defined, firm, smooth mass measuring 25 by 15 centimeters.
Notably, the patient had no other health issues such as high blood pressure or diabetes. His BMI was 25, which is considered overweight but not obese.
The right testicle was normal, and an ultrasound revealed no problems with other organs.
The patient underwent surgery to remove the mass and was ultimately diagnosed with angiomyofibroblastoma, or AMF — a rare, benign tumor most often found in the lower genital tract of premenopausal women, usually on the vulva.
These tumors typically grow slowly and painlessly, and are frequently mistaken for more common conditions like cysts.
While AMF isn’t often seen in women, it’s an even more exceptional diagnosis in men. Just eight other cases of scrotal AMF have been reported in English medical literature/
“Scrotal AMF is a rare tumor that has an oval shape in the scrotum the size of a chicken egg,” the authors wrote. “Patients often feel the mass but are asymptomatic.”
Though a chicken egg-sized tumor sounds large, AMF in women can grow much bigger. In fact, the largest reported case measured over a foot long, at 34 centimeters.
In extremely rare cases, benign AMF can undergo “sarcomatous transformation” and become malignant. Doctors say this risk underscores the importance of accurate diagnosis and careful, long-term follow-up after treatment.
After surgery, the patient underwent regular evaluations at the hospital. One month later, his wound was healing well with no pain or complications, and no further treatment was necessary.
He continues to be monitored every six months with ultrasounds and physical exams, all showing no signs of recurrence.
Fortunately, AMF rarely spreads to other parts of the body and is usually cured with surgery. When it does recur, it’s often because parts of the tumor were left behind.
“Currently, the patient has fully recovered without complications,” the authors concluded.
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