Doctors at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam have successfully operated on a 27-year-old woman from Anakapalli district, removing a rare condition known as a ‘stone baby’ or lithopedion from her abdomen. The patient, who had been experiencing severe abdominal pain for three years following a failed abortion, sought medical help after her symptoms worsened.**What is Lithopedion?**Lithopedion, a term derived from Greek meaning ‘stone child,’ is an exceedingly rare phenomenon that occurs in less than 1% of ectopic pregnancies. It involves a fetus that dies during an abdominal ectopic pregnancy—where the fetus develops outside the uterus—and subsequently becomes calcified. This calcification process, which mummifies the fetus, encases it in a protective calcium shell that shields it from the mother’s immune system.**Key Details:**- **Incidence and Discovery:** With only about 330 documented cases since its first description in the 10th century, lithopedion is extremely rare, affecting just 0.0054% of pregnancies.- **Formation Process:** The condition occurs if the fetus survives for at least three months. The fetus then becomes calcified if it is not absorbed by the mother’s body.- **Symptoms and Diagnosis:** Lithopedion often remains asymptomatic for years and is usually diagnosed through imaging techniques like ultrasound or X-rays when secondary symptoms, such as abdominal pain or a mass, arise.**Case at King George Hospital**In this particular case, the woman had a calcified fetus in her abdomen for three years, which was initially misdiagnosed as a tumor. Advanced imaging techniques eventually revealed the lithopedion. A surgical team led by Dr. I. Vani, along with Dr. Anand and Dr. Sivaprakash, successfully removed the calcified fetus. The patient is recovering well and is expected to be discharged soon.