1872
MI/5 - Case of Eliza Moffit
Eliza Moffat was about 35 years old when she was admitted to the Adelaide Hospital, Dublin on 24 August 1872. Five years earlier, Eliza had developed a lump about the size of a hazelnut above one ear. In little or no pain it appears that she did not seek medical attention.
By late 1869 the lump had grown considerably, changed in colour and was causing pain. Despite this, perhaps because of a common fear of hospital admission in Ireland at the time, it was not until late 1872 that Eliza sought help. The lump had grown to three and a half inches in diameter and developed an open, putrefying, bleeding wound.
The growth is described as an echondroma – a benign (not cancerous) tumour that develops in the cartilage of bones. If left untreated, as Eliza’s clearly was, there is a high risk of the tumour becoming malignant (cancerous).
A report on Eliza’s case in The Dublin Journal of Medical Science (1 January 1873) concluded that the treated wound had completely healed by the end of November that year.