Doctors identify illness as lymphoma

SAN FERNANDO General Hospital doctors have finally diagnosed the cause of the egg-sized boils on Noel Lochan’s body as being an extremely rare form of lymphoma disease, which afflicts the lymph glands and caused the tumour-like boils. Lochan, 23, of St Julien Road in Princes Town, has been hospitalised at the southern hospital for almost a month on instructions of Health Minister John Rahael, after Lochan’s condition was highlighted in the media. Medical sources told Newsday that their tests revealed Lochan, who has large boils on his face, chest, thighs and back, is suffering from a rare type of lymphoma disease which causes cells in the lymphatic system to multiply and produce a tumour which manifest itself as large boils on the skin. 

The lymphatic system, doctors explained, helps filter out bacteria from the body and is important in fighting disease. Doctors said Lochan’s case was extremely rare in the Western Hemisphere and, while not having data readily available to support their claim, they said Lochan could very well be the first person to be afflicted with this type of lymphatic disease in this country, in recent memory. Lochan was rescued by Community Police on April 26. Boils which covered his body baffled his poverty-stricken family, who had confined him to a room fearing his illness was contagious. Health Minister John Rahael and South West Regional Health Authority chairman Imtiaz Ahmad intervened, and Lochan underwent immediate medical tests at the San Fernando General Hospital. Initially, blood analysis and tissue biopsies proved inconclusive and further tests using more advanced medical equipment were conducted. In the meantime, Lochan was administered heavy antibiotics and even underwent a blood transfusion.

Two weeks ago, Lochan underwent surgery to remove the large egg-size boils which had covered his forehead and the upper part of his nose. He underwent surgery once again last Friday to remove boils, medically described as lesions, on the upper left thigh. Lochan is under the care of the hospital’s medical chief of staff, Dr Colin Furlonge, and burns and plastic surgeon Dr Balkaran Ramkissoon. The good news, which was relayed to Lochan’s parents yesterday, was that laboratory results conducted by a senior consultant haematologist, concluded that the form of lymphoma disease Lochan was suffering from is treatable with a course of certain drugs. “Yes we have concluded that lymphoma is the cause and are working on the technicalities of the appropriate treatment,” said a medical source.