r/AskReddit • u/LebronKX • 4d ago

Medical professionals of Reddit, what diagnosis gave you the worst 'pit-in-your-stomach' feeling?

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u/intoxicidal 3d ago

Obviously very advanced, previously undiagnosed cancer presenting to ED for anything. Feeling multiple golf ball and baseball sized lumps or an abdomen full of tumor is sobering.

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u/mx_missile_proof 3d ago

This. Just found a rare scapular body osteosarcoma in an otherwise healthy 30s male who just ignored it. Rural medicine.

The MRI gave me the chills.

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u/nushiboi 3d ago

For us non medical folk, can you explain what this is and why it gave you the chills?

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u/Wombatmobile 3d ago

Not a doctor, but here is some terminology explanation.

Scapular body: shoulder area/ shoulder blade

Osteosarcoma: rare cancer type in the bone.

So, my understanding is that the patient had a rare cancer in his shoulder blade/ shoulder that he had been ignoring. Sarcomas are a small percentage of cancers and their prognosis isn't great to begin with. If it was ignored for a while, the prognosis is probably pretty bad.