A woman complained of severe abdominal pain. Doctors discovered something that had been stuck in her body for over nine years.

Other heartburn remedies (1/14)

Of course, to avoid heartburn, it is recommended to avoid or limit fatty foods such as sauces, processed meats and pastries, as well as alcohol.

And if you don’t want to eat them, marshmallow tea can bring relief, as can plantain.

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Bubbling (2/14)

She also admitted to doctors that she experienced a gurgling sensation after eating. Doctors conducted a series of tests to determine the cause of her symptoms.

This is a lithopedion (3/14)

Then they made a horrific discovery. The woman had a lithopedion in her belly. It was a dead fetus that had calcified and fossilized.

Dead fetus in her womb (4/14)

The story began a few years ago in a refugee camp in Tanzania. A woman who had already had eight pregnancies, including three stillbirths, became pregnant again.

Her fetus died in the seventh month (5/14)

Toward the end of her seven-month pregnancy, during a visit to the camp, doctors delivered devastating news: the fetus had died. Doctors advised her to return home so the pregnancy could be born naturally.

Accused of murdering her child (6/14)

When she returned a few days later, doctors accused her of taking drugs to kill her baby. She lost all trust in doctors. Nine years later, she moved to the United States.

The woman didn’t want to undergo surgery. (7/14)

When she went to the emergency room, doctors found a dead fetus in her uterus. They told her she needed emergency surgery to remove it.

Intestinal obstruction (8/14)

She was then referred to the gynecological oncology department due to intestinal obstruction. However, the patient refused all proposed interventions. Sadly, the Congolese woman died a few months later.

She died of malnutrition (9/14)

“Unfortunately, she died 14 months after being resettled due to severe malnutrition, recurrent intestinal obstructions and the constant fear of needing treatment,” wrote a journalist for the scientific journal BMC Women’s Health.

Very rare cases (10/14)

However, the presence of lithopedione in the body is very rare. It is estimated to occur in 0.00045% of all registered pregnancies worldwide. The first case was detected in France in 1582.

Only 300 cases in France (11/14)

Since then, only 300 cases of lithopedion have been reported in France. Unfortunately, these very rare pregnancies occur in countries with poorly developed healthcare systems.

Countries with limited access to healthcare (12/14)

Residents of these countries also have less access to healthcare than in some other countries. A study by this medical journal also explained the process of lithopedion formation.

How is lithopedion formed? (13/14)

“When fetal death occurs and the fetus is too large to be absorbed, the immune system recognizes it as a foreign body and causes the deposition of a calcium-rich substance, which turns the fetus into a stone,” it reads in particular.

Women saved in time (14/14)

Fortunately, not all women share this Congolese woman’s fate. For example, an Indian woman carried a dead fetus in her womb for over 30 years. At the age of 60, she was finally able to undergo surgery to remove the lithopedion. She would never have known about it if not for abdominal pain.

A woman came to the hospital as an emergency due to severe abdominal pain. However, she refused surgery. Sadly, she died a few months later. After several tests, doctors made a horrific discovery in her abdomen. She refused to have the tumor removed. It had been there for over nine years. Find out what it was.

A woman complains of abdominal pain

It’s a story you don’t hear every day. A woman in her fifties, originally from the Congo, came to the hospital with  severe abdominal pain  . She also told doctors that she felt a gurgling sensation after eating. Doctors ran a series of tests to determine the cause of her symptoms. That’s when they made  a shocking discovery  . The woman had a lithopedion—a dead fetus—in her abdomen that had calcified and fossilized.

Dead fetus in her womb

The story began several years ago in a refugee camp in Tanzania. A woman who had already had eight pregnancies, including three stillbirths, became pregnant again. Seven months into her pregnancy, during a visit to the camp, doctors delivered  devastating news  : her fetus had died. Doctors advised her to return home to have a vaginal delivery. Upon returning a few days later, doctors accused her of taking drugs and attempting to kill the baby. She lost all trust in doctors. Nine years later, she moved to the United States.

The woman did not want to undergo surgery.

When she arrived at the emergency room,  doctors  found a dead fetus inside her. They told her she needed urgent surgery to remove it. She was then referred to the gynecological oncology department due to  an intestinal obstruction  . However, the patient refused all proposed interventions. Sadly, the Congolese woman died a few months later. ”  Sadly, she died 14 months after recovering from severe malnutrition, due to recurrent intestinal obstruction and persistent fear of treatment,”  wrote a journalist for the scientific journal  BMC Women’s Health.

Very rare cases

The presence of lithopedion in the body is  extremely rare  . It occurs in approximately 0.00045% of all registered pregnancies worldwide. The first case of lithopedion was detected in France in 1582. Since then, only 300 cases have been reported there. Unfortunately, these extremely rare pregnancies occur most often in countries with poorly developed healthcare systems. Residents of these countries also have less access to healthcare than in some other countries.

A study by this medical journal also explained the process of lithopedion formation. ”  When fetal death occurs and the fetus is too large to be absorbed, the immune system recognizes it as a foreign body and induces the deposition of a calcium-rich substance, thus transforming the fetus into a stone,”  the study stated. Fortunately, not all women share the same fate as this Congolese woman. For example, an Indian woman carried a dead fetus in her uterus for over 30 years. At over 60, she was able to undergo surgery to remove the lithopedion. She would never have known about it if not for abdominal pain.