Stunned surgeons have removed around 3lbs (1.5kg) of nuts, bolts and jewellery from a woman’s stomach.
Doctors in India spent nearly three hours extracting the metal objects from the woman, identified only as Sangita.
Incredible X-ray images showed metal zippers, hairpins, copper rings and even safety pins inside her abdomen.
The medical team at Ahmadabad’s Civil Hospital even warned one of the safety pins was dangerously protruding from her lung.
Rare: Doctors at Ahmadabad’s Civil Hospital in western India spent three hours extracting nearly two kilos of nuts, bolts and jewellery from the patient, identified only as Sangita (L)
Medical professionals believe the forty-something patient suffers with a rare psychological condition called acuphagia.
She was admitted to hospital last month after complaining of abdominal pains, according to local reports.
‘The woman’s stomach had become rock-hard,’ said surgeon Dr Nitin Parmar, who performed the procedure.
‘The X-ray revealed a large lump in her stomach while safety pins were protruding from her lung.
‘One pin had even punctured her stomach wall, prompting us to operate upon her immediately.’
Explaining her compulsion, he added: ‘Acuphagia is a rare disorder where people eat sharp [metal] objects and other indigestible items.’
Horde: An array of foreign objects, including metal zippers, hairpins, copper rings, rope and even safety pins, were recovered from the patient’s digestive system
According to additional reports, authorities are trying to find the woman’s relatives, but have so far been unsuccessful. She has been kept under observation and her condition is stable.
He said the condition was extremely rare and that the hospital only one case per year.
Local reports suggest authorities are trying to find the woman’s relatives, but have so far been unsuccessful.
She has been kept under observation and her condition is stable.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, acuphagia is a category of the Pica condition.
Pica is described as ‘eating one or more non-nutritive, non-food substances over a period of one month’.
Other categories of the diagnosis include emetophagia (the voluntary consumption of vomit), xylophagia (wood or paper) and hyalophagia (glass).