A surprising medical event occurred recently in Durango, Mexico after an unnamed 84-year-old woman went to the doctor due to persistent stomach pain. She had been in severe discomfort for days and decided to visit a nearby clinic.
After several tests, the doctors suggested an ultrasound, and this decision revealed a remarkable and rarely documented case: a 40-year-old fetus inside her stomach.
Although the Mexican National Insurance Institute has yet to authenticate the account, numerous local sources have already reported the astonishing find. Medical specialists now posit that the fetus underwent a process of calcification known as "lithopedion," an exceedingly unusual phenomenon. This phenomenon occurs when a fetus dies within the womb but attains a size substantial enough to become calcified.
What's more, this woman exhibited signs of abdominal pregnancy, an extraordinarily uncommon variant of ectopic pregnancy. In this condition, the fetus establishes itself outside the mother's reproductive organs, taking residence within the abdominal cavity. The fetal exterior calcifies, representing the immune system's endeavor to shield against potential infections from the foreign entity.
Medical professionals approximate that the fetus ceased development around the 40-week mark. Questions arise regarding the mother's prenatal care at the time of the fetus's demise four decades ago. Strikingly, the embalmed fetus, still within the confines of its mother's body, remarkably inflicted no harm upon her health.