The images show a person with a very large, shiny, swollen mass on the upper back or shoulder, accompanied by openings in the skin and attempts to remove material using forceps. While the exact situation cannot be diagnosed from images alone, this appearance resembles several medical possibilities: severe soft-tissue infection, a large abscess, an infected cyst, or—in rare cases—a parasitic wound infestation. However, many images and videos online are digitally manipulated or staged for dramatic effect, so the scene may not represent a real disease exactly as shown.
The most medically realistic explanation is a large abscess, which is a pocket of pus created by bacterial infection. When bacteria invade deeper layers of the skin or tissues, the immune system walls off the area, producing a firm capsule filled with pus. As the infection expands, the skin stretches and becomes tense, shiny, and extremely painful—similar to the stretched, balloon-like appearance in the pictures. Abscesses can form from infected hair follicles, untreated skin injuries, or bacterial spread. If the abscess grows too large, the skin may thin out and develop visible points where it might rupture. These openings can resemble “puncture holes” like the ones in the images.
Another possibility is an infected sebaceous or epidermoid cyst, which occurs when a blocked gland becomes swollen, fills with keratin or oil, and becomes infected. A cyst can grow over time and, if bacteria enter, become red, hot, and painful. Large cyst infections may also produce pus-filled cavities that require surgical drainage. When people attempt to drain or squeeze cysts at home, the swelling can worsen, leading to deeper infection and dramatic skin distortion.
A third condition often referenced in viral images is cutaneous myiasis, an actual parasitic infection caused by fly larvae. In real cases, flies lay eggs in open wounds, and the larvae feed on dead tissue. However, true human myiasis typically involves small openings—not enormous balloon-like swelling. Many online videos falsely depict insects emerging from massive cysts to attract viewers. Therefore, although infection by larvae exists, the images here look more exaggerated than typical medical cases.
The appearance could also be influenced by a boil (furuncle), carbuncle, hematoma, or severe cellulitis, all of which cause swelling, redness, and skin tension. But the size shown is unusually large for natural infections, hinting at possible editing, prosthetics, or staged content.
Regardless of the underlying cause, conditions that look like this are medically serious. Large abscesses and infected cysts can cause fever, spreading infection, tissue damage, and—in severe untreated cases—bloodstream infection known as sepsis. Attempting to cut, squeeze, or remove material at home, as shown in the images, is extremely dangerous. Proper treatment requires sterile tools, anesthesia, drainage by a trained medical professional, and antibiotics.
In summary, while the exact condition cannot be identified conclusively, the closest real medical explanations are a giant abscess, an infected cyst, or a severe soft-tissue infection—though the images may also be staged or edited for sensational effect.
