Lithopedion
Encyclopedia
A lithopedion or stone baby, is a rare phenomenon which occurs most commonly when a fetus
dies during an abdominal pregnancy
, is too large to be reabsorbed by the body, and calcifies
on the outside, shielding the mother's body from the dead tissue of the baby and preventing infection
. Lithopedia may occur from 14 weeks gestation to full term. It is not unusual for a stone baby to remain undiagnosed for decade
s, and it is often not until a patient
is examined for other conditions or a proper examination is conducted that includes an X-ray
, that a stone baby is found. The oldest reported case is that of a 92-year old woman, whose lithopedion has been present for upwards of 60 years.
The condition was first described in a treatise by the physician Albucasis in the 10th century AD, but fewer than 300 cases have been noted in 400 years of medical literature. The earliest lithopedion is one found in an archaeological excavation, dated to 1100 BC
.
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
dies during an abdominal pregnancy
Abdominal pregnancy
An abdominal pregnancy is a form of an ectopic pregnancy where the pregnancy is implanted within the peritoneal cavity outside the fallopian tube or ovary and not located in the broad ligament...
, is too large to be reabsorbed by the body, and calcifies
Calcification
Calcification is the process in which calcium salts build up in soft tissue, causing it to harden. Calcifications may be classified on whether there is mineral balance or not, and the location of the calcification.-Causes:...
on the outside, shielding the mother's body from the dead tissue of the baby and preventing infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
. Lithopedia may occur from 14 weeks gestation to full term. It is not unusual for a stone baby to remain undiagnosed for decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s, and it is often not until a patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
is examined for other conditions or a proper examination is conducted that includes an X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
, that a stone baby is found. The oldest reported case is that of a 92-year old woman, whose lithopedion has been present for upwards of 60 years.
The condition was first described in a treatise by the physician Albucasis in the 10th century AD, but fewer than 300 cases have been noted in 400 years of medical literature. The earliest lithopedion is one found in an archaeological excavation, dated to 1100 BC
11th century BC
The 11th century BC comprises all years from 1100 BC to 1001 BC. Although many human societies were literate in this period, some of the individuals mentioned below may be considered legendary rather than fully historical.-Events:...
.
In literature
Alphabetical by author's last name- A lithopedion figure is a central plot device in Samuel Hopkins AdamsSamuel Hopkins AdamsSamuel Hopkins Adams was an American writer, best known for his investigative journalism.-Biography:Adams was born in Dunkirk, New York...
' 1944 novel, Canal TownCanal Town-Synopsis:The novel is set in the 1820s in the town of Palmyra, New York, near Rochester, located on the Erie Canal. The novel opens in 1820, when the construction of the Erie Canal had just begun, but has not reached Palmyra, and most of the town is looking forward to the economic boom the Canal...
. - "Within the Walls of Tyre," a 1978 World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
-nominated short story by Michael BishopMichael Bishop (author)Michael Lawson Bishop is an award-winning American writer. Over four decades and thirty books, he has created a body of work that stands among the most admired in modern science fiction and fantasy literature....
, is about a woman who secretly cherishes her decades-old lithopedion. - In the American graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
series Love and RocketsLove and Rockets (comics)Love and Rockets is a black and white comic book series by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, sometimes cited jointly as Los Bros Hernandez. Their brother Mario Hernandez is an occasional contributor...
by Gilbert HernandezGilbert HernandezGilberto Hernández, born February 1, 1957, in Oxnard, California, usually credited as Gilbert Hernandez and also known by the nickname Beto , is an American comics writer/artist...
, a central character complains for decades about stomach cramps, which are eventually attributed to a lithopedion. - Italian writer Giorgio ManganelliGiorgio ManganelliGiorgio Manganelli was an Italian journalist, avant-garde writer and literary critic. A native of Milan, he was one of the leaders of the avant-garde literary movement in Italy in the 1960s. He was a baroque and expressionist writer. Manganelli translated Edgar Allan Poe's complete stories and...
addresses his reader as a "conversevole litopedio" (conversational lithopedion) in his 1964 treatise Hilarotragoedia. - In Will SelfWill SelfWilliam Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
's 2000 novel How the Dead LiveHow the Dead LiveHow the Dead Live is a novel by Will Self. It was originally published by Bloomsbury in 2000.-Plot:The story follows Lily Bloom's encounter with the afterlife after dying from cancer...
, the central character Lily Bloom is haunted by her singing lithopedion child after her death.
Onscreen, in television
- In the Australian TV series All SaintsAll Saints (TV series)All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
, a person with a lithopedian baby figured in the episode that aired 10 June 2008 (episode 434). - In the Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
season four episode "In the Dark", a woman in the early stages of dementiaDementiaDementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
who believes her daughter is alive is suspected of having a lithopedion. - In the Nip/TuckNip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
season three episode "Joy Kringle", a lithopedion is discovered during a routine liposuctionLiposuctionLiposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
.