Lithopedion and ectopic pregnancy: presentation of a case

Abstract

The Lithopedion usually occurs when a fertilized egg adheres somewhere outside the uterus; the fetus may star to grow, but it cannot survive and dies. The mother’s immunologic system eventually recognizes the fetus as a foreign body and reacts to protect her from a possible infection, covering the fetus with a calcium-rich substance while the dehydration of the tissues is taking place. Through the calcium deposits, a wall is formed, and the fetus becomes a mummified lithopedion. The adequate surgery and favorable evolution of the patient depends on the multidisciplinary evaluation. Describing a new presentation form of the lithopedion coexisting with an ectopic pregnancy and showing the experience of a case of difficult diagnosis and surgical management are the objective of the research. We present the case of a pregnant woman aged 28 years old, treated in the Service of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the General Hospital of Bengo (Republic of Angola), who presented an abdominal ectopic pregnancy in epigastric projection (lithopedion) coinciding with a six-week  intrauterine pregnancy. We reviewed the literature on the theme and developed an exposition of the disease clinical characteristics, diagnosis, management and prognosis.