Doctors at the Longgang Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in China successfully removed a thermometer that had remained inside a 32-year-old man’s body for nearly two decades after being accidentally swallowed during childhood. The foreign object, discovered in the patient’s duodenum during diagnostic scans for persistent abdominal pain, posed a significant risk due to its proximity to the intestinal wall and potential for internal injury. The patient, who had experienced worsening stomach pain over recent years, initially sought medical treatment without relief.
Upon further investigation, imaging revealed the presence of a broken mercury-containing thermometer lodged in the intestine. The individual later recalled swallowing the thermometer at the age of 12 but had concealed the incident due to fear, leading to a prolonged undetected presence in the…
