Woman dies after surgery to remove dead foetus she carried for 56 years
An octogenarian in Brazil passed away after undergoing surgery to remove a calcified fetus she had been carrying for an astonishing 56 years.
Daniela Vera, 81, had been experiencing abdominal discomfort for several weeks before seeking medical attention. During her initial visit to a primary care unit on March 10 for a urinary infection, healthcare professionals failed to detect the calcified fetus.
Despite Vera's concerns about a mass in her abdomen, further tests did not initially reveal the unusual condition. It wasn't until the next day, during a visit to Ponta Porä Regional Hospital, that 3D imaging confirmed she had a lithopedion, a rare occurrence resulting from an ectopic pregnancy where the fetus dies and becomes encased in a calcium shell within the abdominal cavity.
Vera underwent surgery on March 14 to remove the fetus but unfortunately passed away the following day in intensive care due to an infection, as stated by Dr. Patrick Dezir from the Ponta Porä health department.
Dr. Dezir explained that Vera's condition had likely gone undetected for so long because she did not exhibit acute pain or major bleeding typically associated with such cases. He emphasized that ectopic pregnancies must occur within the uterus but can sometimes develop outside, leading to complications like lithopedion.
The family revealed that Vera had initially avoided seeking medical help due to fear and opted for traditional medicine instead. Her daughter, Rosely Almeida, mentioned that Vera had experienced discomfort since her first pregnancy as a teenager, describing sensations of movement and occasional sickness, which they had not suspected to be related to a retained fetus.
About a year before Daniela Vera's passing, a 50-year-old Congolese woman also lost her life due to a lithopedion she had carried for nine years.
The unnamed woman experienced severe malnutrition when the calcified fetus blocked her intestines, leading to stomach pains, indigestion, and discomfort after eating. Medical scans at the hospital unveiled a 28-week-old dead fetus in her lower abdomen.
Despite the diagnosis, the woman declined surgery, citing emotional reasons. Tragically, 14 months later, she succumbed to malnutrition, underscoring the dangers of untreated lithopedions.
A similar case occurred in December 2021 when a 73-year-old woman in Algeria was found to have a 35-year-old lithopedion weighing 4.5 pounds and developed to seven months.
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