Huge cyst woman told she had IBS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/8415021.stm

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A woman from Greater Manchester with a cyst which grew to the size of two newborn babies was told she had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Despite three visits to Wythenshawe Hospital casualty unit Janet Delaney's cyst, which eventually reached 17lb (7.7kg), went undiagnosed.

It was only when she insisted on an ultrasound a month later, in January, that the ovarian cyst was uncovered.

The hospital said it would be "happy to meet her to review her case".

While carrying the huge growth, she was often asked "when is the baby due" or "how far gone are you?"

When I had finally had the operation it was such a relief to have it removed, it's the best weight loss programme I know Janet Delaney

To avoid embarrassment, the mother-of-two would tell people she was due in March - when she was due to have the operation to remove the cyst.

"As it grew it became the most painful thing I have ever experienced, it was as painful as childbirth," Ms Delaney said.

"I knew it wasn't just IBS. My mother suffers from that and I didn't have any of the symptoms.

"I knew this was something much worse but it was horrible not having anyone believing me."

She first felt pain while on holiday in Spain last December and her GP diagnosed her with IBS.

By the end of January, when she had the scan, she had been to the accident and emergency department in Wythenshawe Hospital three times.

Not cancerous

Six weeks later she had the cyst removed, but had to wait two months for confirmation it was not cancerous.

"When I had finally had the operation it was such a relief to have it removed, it's the best weight loss programme I know," she said.

A spokeswoman for University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust said: "The GP is the most appropriate person to arrange an outpatient ultrasound scan as there needs to be continuity of care regarding scan review and patient follow-up.

"On 8 January, Janet re-attended our emergency department with moderate abdominal pain.

"An abdominal X-ray showed no evidence of obstruction. Janet was discharged back to her GP with a letter suggesting outpatient follow-up and investigations.

"On 21 January Janet attended our emergency department, but took her own discharge before being examined.

"Janet's GP referred her for an ultrasound scan which was undertaken at Wythenshawe Hospital on 24 January and identified an ovarian cyst, which was later removed."