Incredible, but true
A 17-year-old teenager in India was complaining about a strange lump that she had in her stomach and doctors quickly discovered that it was caused by something extremely rare. According to the website LiveScience, this lump turned out to benone other than her twin.
Discover our latest podcast
A foetus in a foetus
After undergoing a scan, doctors discovered something quite strange. The lump in her stomach was caused by bits of bone that looked like a spine and ribs. It didn’t take long for the experts to realise what it was. Doctors diagnosed the teenager with the foetus in the foetus, an embryonic anomaly that is caused when a foetus starts to develop inside their twin.This rare medical anomaly only occurs in 1 in 500,000 live births in the world and generally occurs quite early on in pregnancy.
A unique case
According to specialists, only 200 cases of foetus in the foetus have been recorded in the entire world and this Indian teenager’s story is so unique because the foetus is said to be the largest ever recorded. Specialists have stated that of the 200 cases recorded, only 7 were recorded in girls who were 15 or older.
The foetus was finally removed
The foetus was removed during a surgical procedure and according to the doctors, the lump was two-thirds the size of a full-term baby. Not all of the matter was able to be removed, however, since some of the tissue had adhered too closely to her blood vessels. But by leaving this tissue in her stomach, there is a chance it could become cancerous. However, it has been 2 years since she had the operation and the young woman hasn’t had any significant issues.
