An elderly villager has become known as the "unicorn woman" after an abnormal growth on her head appeared to take the shape of a single large horn. (CEN)

A woman with an abnormal growth on her head that appears to be in the shape of a large horn has become known in her village as the “unicorn woman.”

Liang Xiuzhen, 87, of China’s Sichuan Province, noticed something resembling a black mole growing on her head seven or eight years ago, Central European News (CEN) reported.

“My mother complained about this mole-like growth on her head that itched all the time,” Wang Chaojun, Xiuzhen’s son, told CEN. “We found ways to cure her itch using traditional Chinese medicine, and then left it be.”

However, about two years ago, the mole gave way to a small horn-like mass that was about the size of a small finger. Xiuzhen then “broke” the horn in February but it grew back and a rapid pace, now measuring 5.1 inches long, CEN reported.

“Now the horn hurts my mother and prevents her from sleeping. It also bleeds from time to time,” he said.

Doctors diagnosed the growth as cornu cutaneum, a keratinous skin tumor that has the appearance of a horn, according to CEN. Doctors say they can surgically remove the growth, but the family is hesitant because of Xiuzhen’s age.

“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,” Chaojun told the news agency. “If something goes wrong [during surgery], it would be terrible.”

Most cases of cornu cutaneum are small and benign, but it can become much larger and malignant.