Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
03:56
A Two-Step Method for Percutaneous Transhepatic Choledochoscopic Lithotomy
Published on: September 13, 2022
Twin lithopaedions: a rare entity.
J M Mishra1, T K Behera, B K Panda
1Post Graduate Department of General Surgery, VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla, Orissa, India. kiranmoy123@yahoo.co.in
Singapore Medical Journal
|August 31, 2007
Summary
This case report details a rare lithopaedion, or stone baby, diagnosed in a 40-year-old woman presenting with intestinal obstruction. Two calcified fetuses from a missed abortion were surgically removed, resolving the obstruction.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Lithopaedion, a rare complication of ectopic pregnancy, involves fetal death and calcification.
- Approximately 300 cases of lithopaedion are documented globally.
Observation:
- A 40-year-old woman presented with acute intestinal obstruction symptoms.
- Past history of missed abortion eight years prior was initially deemed irrelevant.
- Radiography revealed two abdominal masses and distended small bowel loops.
Findings:
- Exploratory laparotomy identified strangulated small bowel attached to a mass behind the left ovary.
- A five-month-old calcified fetus was recovered from this mass.
- A second calcified fetus was found and removed from a similar mass in the right iliac fossa.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential for long-term complications from neglected ectopic pregnancies.
- Surgical intervention is crucial for resolving life-threatening conditions like intestinal obstruction caused by lithopaedion.
- The successful removal of both fetuses underscores the importance of thorough investigation in cases of recurrent abdominal issues.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Lampbrush Chromosomes
In 1882, Flemming observed lampbrush chromosomes (LBC) in salamander eggs. Later in 1892, Rückert observed LBCs in shark egg cells and coined the term "lampbrush chromosomes" because they looked like brushes used to clean kerosene lamps.
LBCs are made up of two pairs of conjugating homologous chromatids. Each chromatid consists of alternatively positioned regions of condensed-inactive chromatin and loosely placed-active side loops, which can be contracted and extended. The loops resemble the...
LBCs are made up of two pairs of conjugating homologous chromatids. Each chromatid consists of alternatively positioned regions of condensed-inactive chromatin and loosely placed-active side loops, which can be contracted and extended. The loops resemble the...
01:29Nondisjunction
During meiosis, chromosomes occasionally separate improperly. This occurs due to failure of homologous chromosome separation during meiosis I or failed sister chromatid separation during meiosis II. In some species, notably plants, nondisjunction can result in an organism with an entire additional set of chromosomes, which is called polyploidy. In humans, nondisjunction can occur during male or female gametogenesis and the resulting gametes possess one too many or one too few chromosomes.
01:21Nondisjunction
Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers. Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis. Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold sister...
01:33Pleiotropy
Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
02:04Polytene Chromosomes
Polytene chromosomes are giant interphase chromosomes with several DNA strands placed side by side. They were discovered in the year 1881 by Balbiani in salivary glands, intestine, muscles, malpighian tubules, and hypoderm of larvae Chironomus plumosus. Hence, these are also called "Salivary gland chromosomes." These are found in insects of the order Diptera and Collembola; in certain organs of mammals; and synergids, antipodes of flowering plants. Polytene chromosomes are also regularly...
01:25Urinary Tract Calculi VI: Surgical Management
Procedures for Kidney StonesMedical intervention is necessary when kidney stones or renal calculi are too large to pass spontaneously (typically greater than 5 millimeters) when stones are accompanied by symptomatic infection (such as fever or pyelonephritis), when they impair kidney function, or when they cause persistent symptoms like severe pain, nausea, or urinary retention. Additionally, patients with only one kidney or those who cannot be treated with medical management also require...