A Woman’s ‘Cancer’ Turns Out To Be A Complication Of Her Old Tattoo

Do you have an old tattoo? Well, this could be an alarming story for you. Doctors thought a woman had cancer, but it turns out, the symptoms she was experiencing were due to a complication of her old tattoo.

The 30-year-old woman was suspected to have lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. However, after the surgery, the doctors found that her symptoms were caused by something unexpected.

The woman first came to the clinic complaining of small lumps under her arms.

The case report says that she had no other symptoms such as fever, weight loss, night sweats and other pulmonary issues.

The doctors first suspected the swollen and enlarged lymph nodes as cancer.

Dr. Christian Bryant, a hematologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital said:

“Ninety-nine times out of 100, (this) will be lymphoma.”

However, the enlarged lymph nodes, which were about 1.5 centimeters in diameter, were actually caused by a reaction she had to a 15-year-old tattoo.

The old tattoo was a large black-ink that has been present for years and has covered her back. She also has a black-ink tattoo on her left shoulder for the past 2.5 years.

The common reactions to tattoo ink are allergies, pain and infection.

Tattoo reactions are uncommon. However, some people may have hypersensitivity reactions to some elements in ink or may develop an infection on the site of the tattoo.

However, delayed reactions may occur. A man in Mexico had died after swimming with a fresh tattoo. There are many reactions because nobody really knows what’s in tattoo ink.

Hence, you might be wondering how many other people experience such reactions to tattoo ink, especially when it comes to their lymph nodes. In some cases, the symptoms do not appear until the reaction will cause noticeable lumps or symptoms.

Fortunately, the woman’s condition improved after ten months of no intervention or treatment, after the removal of the swollen lymph node.

If you have an old tattoo and you notice lumps in your body, you need to consult with a doctor for a check-up.