Fetus’ skeleton found inside woman after abortion in Visakhapatnam

A rare and unusual medical case has been reported in Visakhapatnam, where doctors at King George Hospital (KGH) retrieved the skeleton of a fetus from inside a 27-year-old woman. The patient, a resident of the Anakapalle district and a mother of two arrived at KGH in the third week of August, suffering from severe abdominal pain.

Upon examination, Dr Vani, Professor of Obstetrics at KGH, conducted an initial ultrasound, which revealed a mass in the woman’s abdomen. A subsequent MRI scan provided further clarity, showing the presence of a calcified mass resembling a “nest of bones” in her abdomen. The doctors identified this condition as “lithopedion,” a rare medical phenomenon where a fetus that has died during an abdominal pregnancy becomes calcified.

The woman reportedly became pregnant three years ago but attempted to terminate the pregnancy through an abortion. Since then, she had been experiencing persistent abdominal pain.

The medical team, led by Dr Vani and Dr Anand, performed surgery on August 31 to remove the calcified remains of the 24-week-old fetus from the patient’s abdomen. The operation was successful, the skeleton of the fetus has been removed from inside the woman, who is now recovering well. According to Dr Sivananda, the supervising medical officer at KGH, she is expected to be discharged in a few days.

The occurrence of lithopedion is extremely rare, with fewer than 25 cases reported across India to date.

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