Doctor 'told woman with giant cyst she was overweight'

A doctor is facing a charge of professional misconduct after allegedly failing to recognise a patient had a giant abdominal cyst.

A tribunal heard he told her she was overweight and prescribed diet pills.

The 44-year-old mother was eventually taken to hospital in severe pain, where a 14.7kg cyst was discovered and surgically removed, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Christchurch was told.

The woman's weight plummeted from 74kg to 57kg after the surgery.

She was considered clinically malnourished because she had been able to eat only small amounts for several months.

The cyst was found 16 months after the woman said she first raised concerns with her doctor, whose name is suppressed, in March 2004.

The woman's lawyer Mike Heron said the case concerned the doctor's failure to assess, examine and investigate the abnormal abdominal symptoms.

Defence counsel Adam Lewis said "hindsight bias" was a risk in cases such as this.

The case is continuing.

- NZPA