Doctors Discover Foreign Objects in Man's Body, Suspect Self-Insertion
A 35-year-old man underwent surgery after doctors found multiple foreign bodies, including a needle near his heart, and suspect he may have inserted them himself.
A man's hospital visit took a peculiar turn when medical tests revealed multiple "foreign bodies" lodged within his chest, abdomen, pelvis, bladder, and even his penis. Doctors suspect the objects were self-inserted.
The 35-year-old patient sought medical attention in China due to discomfort during urination and blood in his urine. While his vital signs were stable and he exhibited no other apparent distress, an initial imaging test detected an unusual shadow near his heart.
A subsequent contrast-enhanced CT scan uncovered multiple "needle-like metallic foreign bodies." Most concerning was a 1.4-inch pin that had penetrated the pericardium, the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart.
The origin of these objects remained unclear, as the man, who had a history of intellectual disability, and his father, his caregiver, could not provide an explanation. However, records indicated that doctors had removed two foreign objects from the man's abdomen two years prior at a different hospital.
This history led the medical team to suspect self-embedding, a form of non-suicidal self-injury where individuals intentionally insert foreign objects into their bodies. Such behavior, though rare, has been documented over decades, with notable cases including Albert Fish in 1936 and later reports involving teenagers implanting objects under their skin.
Self-embedding carries significant risks, including infection, tissue damage, and organ injury, as well as the potential for objects to migrate within the body. The needle near the patient's heart posed an immediate, life-threatening risk.
Surgeons successfully removed the sewing needle from the pericardium. The object was corroded, suggesting it had been inside the body for an extended period. Notably, no external wound or scar was found on the man's chest to indicate how the needle entered.
Following the surgery, the patient experienced a decline in heart function, attributed to the existing injury from the needle and the stress of the operation. However, he was discharged nine days later and showed clinical stability with recovered heart function at a nine-month follow-up.
Due to the risks associated with further surgical intervention, doctors decided to closely monitor the remaining foreign objects within the man's body rather than attempting immediate removal.