Woman dies after surgery to remove fetus she carried for 56 years

A woman died after surgery to remove a calcified fetus that's been there for 56 years

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An 81-year-old woman from Brazil had been feeling unwell with stomach pains for several weeks

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Doctors detected a calcified fetus, called a lithopedion, the result of an ectopic pregnancy during a 3D scan

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The rare phenomenon occurs when a fetus dies during an abdominal pregnancy, and isn't absorbed by the body

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The dead fetus is retained in the abdominal cavity, forming a calcium shell around it

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There is neither severe pain nor bleeding in the body, also there are no visible symptoms until an X-ray is done

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Doctors concluded she had been carrying the dead fetus in her body since her last pregnancy more than 5 decades ago

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Her operation took place on March 14 and she died while still in ICU the next day

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