UM Doctors Remove Rare Tumor From 8-Year-old Girl

MIAMI, FL — Surgeons at the University of Miami Health System removed what could be the first tumor of its kind in a child under 13. Doctors said the surgery was necessary to save eight-year-old Brianna Alexe's life. They performed the complex procedure at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

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Surgeons at Holtz Children's Hospital said the paraganglioma body tumor was removed from Alexe's carotid artery.

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An avid tennis player, Alexe celebrated her successful surgery with a special video message from her hero: tennis star Simona Halep, who made it to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last week and is ranked fifth in the world on the women's professional tour.

The little girl cried as she watched the video for the first time on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference held by her medical team to discuss the surgery. When UHealth officials told Alexe that her mom had the video of Simona and that she was free to watch it on the way home another 50 times, she replied with a grin, “Try 100.”

Watch Halep's video to Alexe at the end of this story.

"Despite tense moments in the Jackson Memorial Hospital operating room – UHealth surgeons had to sever the carotid artery to extract the tumor, causing 8-year-old Brianna Alexe to suffer life-threatening blood loss – the surgery was a success," declared UHealth officials.

Surgeons acknowledged during the press conference that the tumor had begun growing into the carotid, which necessitated removal of part of the artery.

"Brianna’s journey started with a swelled lymph node on the right side of her neck," according to hospital officials. "Call it mother’s intuition, but Mihaela Bozdog, Brianna’s mother, knew that something was not right, despite repeated assurances from the pediatrician that Brianna simply had an infection."

Though Brianna was otherwise healthy Bozdog took her daughter to the local emergency room when the lymph node continued to swell.

“I knew it wasn’t just a lymph node,” Bozdog recalled.

Doctors found a large, uncommon tumor wrapped around the child's carotid artery. This type of carotid body tumor affects only one or two people out of every 100,000 and is even less common in children. Brianna was referred to University of Miami Health System specialists at Holtz Children’s for treatment.

"After an initial consultation with UHealth pediatric surgeon Anthony Hogan, M.D., in October, it became apparent that surgery was needed," UHealth officials said. "Without it, Brianna was at risk for stroke, nerve damage and other life-threatening medical emergencies due to reduced blood flow to her brain. However, the surgery also brought serious risks, including death and stroke."

The girl's mother acknowledged, “I cried a lot.” But after what seemed to be an endless battery of tests, needles and appointments Alexe and her family were ready to put the surgery behind them.

The operating team was led on Feb. 24 by Dr. Ramzi Younis, an ear, nose and throat surgeon. A day earlier, UHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Eric Peterson performed an angiogram and embolization to close the blood vessels feeding the tumor. That procedure was intended to make the surgery safer.

"When the surgeons realized they would have to cut the carotid to remove the tumor, they were prepared," UHealth officials said. "Additional blood was on hand in the OR, but that did not stop the initial moment of horror when Brianna began bleeding out."

Younis recalled being covered in the child's blood.

“It was very scary," he explained. "I thought we might lose her.”

Younis, Hogan and UHealth pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Sarah Jernigan were able to stop the blood loss and continue the surgery. Alexe was discharged a week later. The following week she returned to school. This week she was back on the tennis court as she was encouraged to do by Halep, her tennis idol.

The child and her family plan to further celebrate at Universal Orlando on Friday.