A MAN whose rare medical condition caused his jaw to swell to an agonising size has been given a new lease on life after surgeons rebuilt his face. Suresh, from Tamil Nadu, India, lived a normal life until he was 18 years old when he developed lion face syndrome.
Suresh developed lion man syndrome when he was 18 (Image: Michael Havis)
Its a condition characterised by overgrowth of the facial bones, supposedly giving the patient a lion-like visage.
And it can only be treated by exposing the overgrown bones and chipping away at them.
For 20 years Suresh lived with his condition – and when he finally sought help, doctors let him down time and time again.
But now, thanks to surgeon Sunil Richardson, the patient is almost unrecognisable.
Dr Richardson said: “This patient had visited more than a dozen surgeons in different cities seeking treatment and all of the doctors only delayed it.
“He heard about our craniofacial work through another patient and then came over.
Suresh suffered for 18 years before surgery (Image: Michael Havis)
“Since he was a poor patient, we treated him for free and he only paid for his medicines. 
“Surgical treatment is the only effective choice and we did a cosmetic shave of the lesion without leaving an obvious scar.” In post-surgery photos, Suresh – whose name has been changed for privacy reasons – appears completely transformed. Dr Richarson, 42, said the patient’s condition was a result of fibrous dysplasia, where normal bone is replaced with connective tissue. It leads to bones that are weak and prone to expansion, which in turn can cause leontiasis ossea (lion face syndrome). 
“It’s a very, very rare condition and – as this case is true classical leontiasis ossea – it is even more rare,” he said. After surgery Suresh's face is back to normal (Image: Michael Havis) “There are maybe a few ever published in literature.” Suresh, 41, spent a total of 10 days in hospital, including one in intensive care, in Nagercoil, India. Left untreated, lion face syndrome can encroach on the eyes, mouth and nose, interfering with sight, breathing and the taking of food. In extreme cases, it can lead to the senses being lost one by one before death results from cerebral pressure.
“Surgical treatment is the only effective choice and we did a cosmetic shave of the lesion without leaving an obvious scar.” In post-surgery photos, Suresh – whose name has been changed for privacy reasons – appears completely transformed. Dr Richarson, 42, said the patient’s condition was a result of fibrous dysplasia, where normal bone is replaced with connective tissue. It leads to bones that are weak and prone to expansion, which in turn can cause leontiasis ossea (lion face syndrome). 
“It’s a very, very rare condition and – as this case is true classical leontiasis ossea – it is even more rare,” he said. After surgery Suresh's face is back to normal (Image: Michael Havis) “There are maybe a few ever published in literature.” Suresh, 41, spent a total of 10 days in hospital, including one in intensive care, in Nagercoil, India. Left untreated, lion face syndrome can encroach on the eyes, mouth and nose, interfering with sight, breathing and the taking of food. In extreme cases, it can lead to the senses being lost one by one before death results from cerebral pressure.
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