Lithopedion: Woman carries a stone child in her stomach for nine years

Lithopädion

Woman carries a stone child in her stomach for nine years – and dies of malnutrition

A 50-year-old carried a so-called “rock child” in her body for nine years, which prevented her intestines from absorbing vital nutrients.

publishedMarch 12, 2023 at 4:32 p.m

A 50-year-old woman carried a fossilized fetus in her stomach for nine years.

Journal of Medical Case Reports

• A 50-year-old woman suffered from stomach cramps and indigestion.

• A medical examination revealed that she was carrying a so-called “stone child” (lithopedion).

• Because the woman refused surgery, she died 14 months later from severe malnutrition.

The originally from of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 50-year-old woman came to the USA as a refugee. She went to see doctors in New York complaining of stomach cramps, indigestion, and a gurgling sound in her stomach after eating. Investigations soon revealed that a dead, 28-week-old fetus – a so-called “stone child” (lithopedion) – was lodged in her lower abdomen and pressing on her intestines. This could be traced back to a miscarriage nine years earlier. Your case wasJournal of Medical Case Reports» documented.

The woman was referred to gynecologic oncology for surgical consultation because of intermittent bowel obstruction due to an abdominal mass. However, fearing surgery, she declined surgery and opted for symptom monitoring. Unfortunately, the woman died 14 months later from severe malnutrition associated with recurrent intestinal obstruction from the lithopaedic and continued fear of seeking medical attention, the report states.

The rare phenomenon of a “stone child” (lithopedion) occurs when the pregnancy develops in the abdomen rather than the uterus. It is an ectopic pregnancy, a term for any pregnancy where the embryo begins to form in the wrong part of the body. In the case of a lithopedion, the baby does not receive enough blood, so the pregnancy fails. The body cannot expel the fetus, leading to potentially fatal complications. Some mothers report severe symptoms, others can live with it for decades without showing any signs.

Only around 300 cases recorded worldwide

Only about 300 cases of “stone children” have been recorded worldwide. The oldest case is that of a 68-year-old French woman, Madame Colombe Chatri. At her autopsy after her death in 1582, it was found that she carried a fully developed “stone child” in her abdominal cavity. Chatri, whose abdomen was said to have been “swollen, hard and painful all her life”, had carried her “stone child” for 28 years.

In 2015, a 92-year-old Chilean woman was taken to a hospital after falling. Nothing special at her age. But during the examination, the doctors noticed an irregularity. Then in her abdomen was a petrified fetus – and has been for at least 50 years.

In 2013, an elderly Colombian woman was stunned when she went to the doctor for pelvic pain and was told the pain was being caused by a 40-year-old “stone child.” In 2009, a 92-year-old Chinese woman, Huang Yijun, had a “stone child” removed that she had carried for over half a century.

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