Doctors were left baffled after they discovered six massive stones inside a patient’s bladder – which people have compared to the UK landmark Stonehenge.
The strange formation showed five of the stones in a pyramid, whilst the other has formed like a “rubix cube”. The patient in his 40s, from Turkey, went to Mersin Tarsus State Hospital after he experienced difficulties with his catheter.
He had a bladder augmentation and a catheterizable stoma fitted in childhood. During testing, medics stumbled across the six “giant” stones, which the patient had not felt in pain, despite the mega sizing.
The patient was also reported to have spina bifida – which is a birth defect which can cause a gap or split in the spine. In some cases, it can cause damage to the central nervous system
Medical journal, Cureus, released jaw-dropping images of the geological-style stones, as well as an enlightening scan. According to the experts, the stones weighed a whopping 4.6lbs.
A surgical procedure called a cystolithotomy, was carried out to remove the bladder stones. Surgeons measured them and said the cube-shaped stone measured 7x7x7cm, whereas the pyramid ones were roughly 6x6x6 each.
The patient was discharged after 10 days in hospital, with follow-up checks reporting no new stones. Stunned social media users took to Reddit to comment on the bizarre findings.
One of the pictures was shared on the r/MedicalGore page. Spectators compared the unusual formation to Stonehenge, which is a prehistoric monument. The rock formation can be found sitting in Wiltshire.
One user commented: “Almost 5 pounds constantly in his bladder, that’s wild.” Another wrote: “I’m absolutely flabbergasted that the body can produce something like this.
“Not only their size but their shape too. They look like dice. For a moment I assumed he had to have inserted them into his bladder like some form of sounding and that they weren’t that giant—poor man.”
A third said: “He had his own Stonehenge inside.” Another user was stunned by the discovery and said: “It’s interesting how they are shaped almost identically. Chemistry is so fascinating.”
Someone else commented: “That’s incredible. I wonder if the man had any interest in keeping the stones. I hope they didn’t get thrown away, they’re kind of beautiful. I really like the cube.”
“Jesus Christ thinking of having those hurts my soul,” said another. The health experts wrote in the journal: “A urinary ultrasound was performed, and giant bladder stones were reported. A CT scan of the abdomen showed six giant bladder stones with geometrical shapes.”
They added: “Patients with augmented neurogenic bladder should be followed up routinely, and the upper and lower urinary systems should be checked regularly, failing which bladder stones can reach gigantic sizes just like seen in this case.
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