Norwegian Man's 'Fat' Stomach Turns Out To Be 27 Kg Tumour, Doctors Solve Case After 12 Years

Upon close inspection, the doctors noticed the hard surface of Thomas’ stomach was not fat. “It pressed on my stomach. It was hard and not soft, as is the case with fat".

For 12 years, doctors were sure that a Norwegian man’s stomach was just fat, but his expanding stomach was the result of a growing tumour. The 59-year-old, Thomas Kraut, who lives in Oslo, Norway was initially diagnosed with type-2 diabetes after that with obesity, he was also prescribed Ozempic. 

Kraut participated in weight loss and nutrition courses, according to the New York Post, while the cancer grew inside him. It took doctors 12 years, to take a closer look while preparing him for a gastric sleeve operation to tackle his obesity. This is when they realised that Kraut wasn’t overweight but had a big malignant tumour growing inside him. 

Upon close inspection, the doctors noticed the hard surface of Thomas’ stomach was not fat. “It pressed on my stomach. It was hard and not soft, as is the case with fat,” Kraut reportedly said, as per the New York Post.

He said that he had lost a lot of weight with the diet change and Ozempic, that while his face and arms were very thin only his stomach was “huge”. He was told by his doctors that he was, malnourished.

A CT scan revealed a huge tumour which affected his right kidney, as the tumour was “feeding” on his kidney. Doctors took two weeks to diagnose Kraut with a rare fatty tumour that was made up of multiple smaller cancerous areas surrounded by fat.

Kraut underwent a 10-hour operation to remove the huge tumour on September 26, 2023. Once removed, it weighed 27 kilograms and measured 20.59 inches in diameter. The tumour had caused significant damage to his body and a part of his small intestine as well as his right kidney had to be removed. However, Kraut still has remnants of cancerous tissue growing inside him because those cannot be removed as they are connected to several organs. 

Kraut and his wife have filed a lawsuit against the doctors for failing to detect a large, potentially fatal tumour. Initially, the case was dismissed, as the doctors argued that the tumour’s rarity made it unreasonable to hold them accountable for missing the diagnosis. However, Kraut’s lawyer has already filed an objection against the dismissal.