Open AccessAn unusual case of retained abdominal pregnancy for 36 years in a postmenopausal woman
Author(s) -
Kajal Mitra,
Chetana Ratnaparkhi,
B. S. Gedam,
Kushal Ashok Tayade
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of applied and basic medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2248-9606
pISSN - 2229-516X
DOI - 10.4103/2229-516x.165374
Subject(s) - abdominal pregnancy , medicine , ectopic pregnancy , abdomen , pregnancy , abdominal pain , fetus , acute abdomen , complication , surgery , obstetrics , radiology , genetics , biology
Abdominal pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy which occurs due to ruptured uterine or tubal pregnancy into the abdomen. Fetal loss is a common complication of these pregnancies and patient presents with acute abdominal pain which is a surgical emergency. Another rare but established complication of this ectopic pregnancy is fetal demise with the dead fetus being retained in the abdomen. It gets macerated and mummified over a period of time and is mostly detected incidentally during imaging. Radiological imaging has hallmark appearances of such a macerated fetus showing multiple fetal parts embedded in a calcified sac termed as lithopedion or stone baby. We report a unique case of retained abdominal pregnancy for 36 years in a 60-year-old postmenopausal female presented with abdominal pain and difficulty in micturition. Computed tomography showed multiple fetal bones in the abdomen surrounded by a membrane which was surprisingly not calcified.