26/01/2026
It happened in 2014, an Indian named Shyam Lal Yadav saw a bump grow after hitting his head.
For years, his barber took care of this matter. Eventually, however, no matter how often it was cut, the growth continued to grow, eventually reaching 10cm in height from the man's head. As the images show, that protuberance had every appearance of a horn. It became too long and too difficult to manage, to the point that the man had no choice but to seek help from a surgeon in hospital.
The growth, called a sebaceous horn, is a tumor, often benign, that forms from keratin in the skin and nails. They usually grow on the face, hands, ears and nails.
Neurosurgeons at Bhagyoday Tirth Hospital in Sagar removed the "horn" and the man is now recovering from the surgery. Surgeon Vishal Gajbhiye explained, “About 5 years ago, the patient had hit his head, after which a lump started growing.
In medical terms, this type of growth is called sebaceous horn (devil's horn). Because the horn is made of keratin, the same material found in fingernails, the horn can usually be removed with a sterile razor. However, the underlying condition will still need to be treated. Sebaceous horns are predominantly benign lesions, however the possibility of malignant potential should always be considered. Treatments vary, but can include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Immediately after its removal, skin was implanted over the wound, which is now completely healed."
Surgeons initially cut the growth with a razor, but still had to get to the root of the problem to prevent it from recurring in the future. Shyam spent 10 days in hospital recovering from the surgery and a biopsy confirmed that the growth was not dangerous. Details of the case were sent to the International Journal of Surgery due to the rarity of this type of growth, doctors confirmed.
