An 81-year-old woman from Aral Moreira, Brazil, Daniela Vera, tragically passed away after undergoing surgery to remove a rare and calcified foetus known as a lithopedion from her abdomen. Daniela had unknowingly carried the foetus for over five decades, with doctors dismissing her complaints of stomach pain throughout the years.
As reported by NDTV, Daniela sought medical attention on March 10 for a urinary tract infection, which eventually led to the discovery of the lithopedion. Following a series of 3D scans at Ponta Pora Regional Hospital in Mato Grosso do Sul, the calcified foetus was revealed, surprising both Daniela and medical experts.
Despite having seven children, the presence of the lithopedion remained undetected until the scans uncovered it. Daniela underwent surgery to remove the foetus but unfortunately succumbed to complications from an infection on March 15.
Dr Patrick Dezir, head of the Ponta Pora Hospital health department, explained the rarity of such cases, stating, “When pregnancy occurs, it must be inside the uterus, but in some situations, pregnancy can occur outside.” He emphasized that Daniela’s case went unnoticed due to the absence of acute pain or major bleeding.
Daniela’s daughter, Rosely Almedia, revealed that her mother had complained of abdominal pain since her teenage years, describing sensations that resembled a moving baby inside her belly. However, the true nature of her condition remained a mystery until the discovery of the lithopedion.
The case of Daniela Vera echoes a similar occurrence in Colombia in 2013, where an 82-year-old woman had a stone baby in her belly for 40 years before undergoing surgery to remove it. Lithopedion is an exceedingly rare phenomenon, occurring in only 0.0054% of pregnancies.