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Doctors find 'foreign bodies' inside a man's chest, penis
New York Post • • health
Key Points:
- A 35-year-old man in China was found to have multiple needle-like metallic foreign bodies lodged in his heart, abdomen, pelvis, bladder, and penis, discovered during a hospital visit for urinary discomfort and blood in his urine.
- Doctors suspect the man, who has a history of intellectual disability, deliberately inserted the needles himself, a rare form of non-suicidal self-injury known as self-embedding.
- The most dangerous needle, a 1.4-inch pin piercing the pericardium around his heart, was surgically removed, despite no visible entry wound on his chest, while other needles were left in place due to the risk of removal.
- Post-surgery, the man's heart function initially worsened but recovered by a nine-month follow-up, and he was discharged after nine days in stable condition.
- Self-embedding carries significant health risks, including infection and organ damage, and this case highlights the complexities in managing such injuries when multiple foreign objects are involved.
