Sharing Mayo Clinic - June 2011 Archives

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What began as a small, painless bump turned into a grueling 9.5-hour surgery for 3-year-old Caleb Ragaller (now 6). Caleb was born with a nasal dermoid cyst. Because superficial dermoid cysts are typically slow-growing and can be removed without complication, Caleb’s treatment plan appeared to be pretty straightforward. “We would go in for normal checkups and our doctor would just tell us to keep an eye on it and let us know if there were any changes,” explains Tina Ragaller, Caleb’s mom. “We planned to have it removed once he got older for cosmetic reasons.” But when Tina and her husband, Doug, took Caleb to a plastic surgeon, they found out the condition was more complicated than it seemed. “After reviewing the CT scan, the plastic surgeon saw there was more involved than just a dermoid cyst,” says Tina. “It looked more invasive. He said that even with his 33 years of experience he didn’t feel comfortable removing Caleb’s. He felt there was more involved, so he referred us to Mayo.” The Ragallers, who live in Ames, Iowa, drove to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where Caleb was seen by Marc Patterson, M.D., child and adolescent neurology.

By Caitlyn Potter When I was 17, I was diagnosed with stage one skin cancer. My primary care doctor, Dr. Sonia Lenzmeier has been checking my skin since I was 15 years old.  On one of my office visits, she noticed two odd shaped moles in the middle of my upper back. She recommended taking biopsies from the suspected areas. I didn’t think anything of it. I made an appointment for the next week to have the sites removed. When the sites were sent for testing, the results were returned within a week stating that one mole was positive for stage one melanoma. I was devastated. I had no idea that it was possible to get skin cancer at my age. My parents were very strict with my sun exposure. I would wear sun block, sunglasses, and protective clothing anytime I went outside. Due to their diligence of taking care of my skin, I had only burned about 4 times.

By: Sarah Gravina During the past few weeks, my Mayo Clinic experience has come full circle.  As a Public Affairs intern, I am able to now ...

Benny Andújar has traveled a long way from his native Utuado, Puerto Rico, to tell an important story. “Cancer doesn’t always send a warning,” Andújar says ...