Woman dies after surgery to remove 56-year-old dead foetus from her abdomen

The sequence of events began on March 10, 2024, when Vera sought medical attention at a local health centre due to complaints of a water infection. Little did she know, this visit would unravel a medical mystery that had persisted for over five decades.

Vera, who had endured stomach pains for years, was finally sent for 3D scans after her initial treatment. The scans revealed a diagnosis of lithopedion, a rare condition where a foetus dies outside the uterus but remains within the mother's abdomen, unable to be reabsorbed by her body.

Despite having given birth to seven children, Vera's condition went undetected until this momentous discovery. She underwent surgery to remove the calcified foetus, but tragically, complications arose, and she was transferred to intensive care. Five days later, on March 15, Vera succumbed to an infection, leaving her family in mourning.

Dr. Patrick Dezir, head of the Ponta Pora Hospital health department, shed light on the complexities of Vera's case, explaining, "When pregnancy occurs, it must be inside the uterus, but in some situations, pregnancy can occur outside. That baby was not clinical, the patient did not have acute pain and did not have major bleeding, and this diagnosis goes unnoticed, and time will take care of that foreign body that was left inside the woman’s abdomen."

Vera's daughter, Rosely Almedia, revealed that her mother had complained of abdominal discomfort since her teenage years, likening it to the sensation of a baby moving inside her belly. However, due to fear of medical procedures and equipment, Vera avoided seeking proper medical attention until her condition became critical.

The case of Daniela Vera echoes a similar incident in 2013, where an 82-year-old woman in Colombia underwent surgery to remove a 40-year-old, four-pound foetus from her abdomen. Such occurrences of lithopedion are exceptionally rare, accounting for only 0.0054% of all pregnancies.