A 35-year-old man in China has reportedly left doctors stunned after medical examinations revealed multiple metallic foreign objects lodged in different parts of his body, including his heart, abdomen, pelvis, bladder and penis.
The unusual discovery was made after the man visited a hospital complaining of discomfort while urinating and blood in his urine.
Despite the symptoms, the man was reportedly in generally good condition. His vital signs were stable, and he showed no other obvious signs of distress.
However, doctors noticed an unusual shadow-like object close to his heart during an imaging examination.
Concerned by the finding, medical personnel ordered a contrast-enhanced CT scan to obtain a clearer picture of the abnormality.
The scan reportedly revealed several needle-like metallic foreign bodies scattered throughout the man’s body.
One of the most concerning findings was a metallic pin measuring about 1.4 inches (3.6cm) that had pierced the pericardium, the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart.
Doctors were initially unable to determine how the objects had entered the man’s body.
According to reports, the patient had a history of intellectual disability dating back to childhood and was unable to provide an explanation for the presence of the foreign bodies. His father, who serves as his legal caregiver, was also reportedly unaware of how the objects had entered his body.
Previous Removal Of Foreign Objects Provided A Clue
Doctors reportedly discovered an important clue when they reviewed the man’s medical history.
Two years earlier, he had undergone treatment at another hospital, where two foreign objects had reportedly been removed from his abdomen.
The history led doctors to suspect that the man may have been engaging in self-embedding, a form of non-suicidal self-injury in which a person deliberately inserts foreign objects into their body.
Objects involved in reported cases of self-embedding have included items such as glass, staples, paper clips and pieces of wire.
Although considered uncommon, the behaviour has been documented in medical literature for decades.
Needle Near Heart Considered Most Dangerous
The doctors faced a difficult decision because removing all the foreign objects immediately could potentially cause further injury.
The needle lodged near the man’s heart was considered the most immediate concern because of its location and the potential risk of damage to the heart or surrounding structures.
Surgeons therefore decided to remove the object considered most dangerous first.
During the operation, they successfully extracted an intact black metallic sewing needle from the patient’s pericardium.
The needle was reportedly corroded, which doctors considered an indication that it had remained inside the man’s body for an extended period.
Medical personnel were also reportedly unable to identify any obvious entry wound or scar on the man’s chest that could explain how the needle had reached the area around his heart.
Patient Recovers After Surgery
Following the operation, the man’s heart function reportedly deteriorated significantly as the organ dealt with the existing injury associated with the needle and the physical stress of surgery.
He remained under medical care and was eventually discharged nine days after the operation.
At a follow-up examination nine months later, the patient was reportedly clinically stable, while his heart function had recovered.
Doctors decided not to immediately remove the other metallic objects found throughout his body.
Instead, they opted for close monitoring, apparently because attempting to extract the remaining objects could result in additional complications or tissue damage.
The unusual case has drawn medical attention because of the number and locations of the foreign bodies, particularly the sewing needle that had reached the protective sac surrounding the patient’s heart.
