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(Image: CEN)

Liang Xiuzhen, 87, had something resembling a black mole appear on her head about seven years ago.

Her son, Wang Chaojun, said they thought they had cured her with Chinese medicine and then left it.

But two years on the mole turned into a small mass about the size of a finger.

Since then it began to grow and grow and is now a 13cm-long (5.1 inches) horn.

The OAP accidentally "broke" the small horn this February and in its place her current horn began growing rapidly.

Chaojun said: "Now the horn hurts my mother and prevents her from sleeping. It also bleeds from time to time."

(Image: CEN)

Doctors in Sichuan, China, diagnosed the so-called unicorn horn as "cornu cutaneum" – a keratinous skin tumour that has the appearance of a horn.

Often small and benign the growth can in some cases be much larger and malignant.

Chaojun said doctors believe they can remove the growth through surgery – but the family has its reservations due to Xiuzhen’s old age and are considering other options.

Chaojun said: "My mother is old, and the horn is on her head which is a very sensitive area. I’m not confident [in the idea of] surgery. If something goes wrong, it would be terrible."

Earlier this month a pensioner was left in excruciating pain after three hard, rough growths – resembling large toenails – sprouted from the sole of her foot.