Doctors in Sichuan diagnosed the so-called unicorn horn as "cornu cutaneum" (cutaneous horn), 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.
"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," he added. "If something goes wrong [during surgery], it would be terrible."