Mushtaq Muhammad and his surgical team were in the midst of an operation when they stumbled upon an unexpected phenomenon—a human fetus inside a toddler's stomach.
While this bizarre occurrence may seem enigmatic, there is a rational explanation behind it.
So, what happened?
The distressed baby, who had endured prolonged stomach pains, was brought to Sadiqabad Hospital in Pakistan by her concerned parents. Extensive tests were conducted, leading the medical staff to believe they had identified a tumor in her abdomen that could be remedied through surgical intervention.
However, during the course of the surgery, an astonishing revelation came to light: the presumed tumor had been developing within the 10-month-old's abdomen since her birth, causing her excruciating pain.
"At the onset of the operation, everything appeared to be proceeding routinely," the surgeon said in article published by The Sun. "Yet, two hours later, we discovered it was not a tumor but rather a twin of the toddler, who had been trapped within her womb during her fetal stage. This intriguing medical phenomenon is recognized as 'disappearing fetus syndrome.'"
The baby's father disclosed that various treatments had been administered to alleviate her stomach pains since her birth, but none had proven effective.
Has this happened before?
Remarkably, this case is reported to occur in approximately one in 500,000 births, as documented in the Journal of Surgical findings.