Doctors at a southern Chinese hospital removed something unusual from a man’s intestines: a 14-centimeter-long toothbrush that he had swallowed 20 years ago.
Shenzhen No. 3 People’s Hospital in Guangdong province said it was one of the most bizarre objects doctors had ever found in a patient’s intestines, along with nails, coins and lighters.
The patient, a 51-year-old man surnamed Li, was hospitalized in late June with abdominal pain, and a CT scan revealed a mysterious object in his duodenum, Xinhua news agency reported.
Li told doctors it could be a toothbrush he swallowed during a suicide attempt 20 years ago when he was diagnosed with HIV infection caused by drug use. Since he felt no discomfort after the failed suicide, he went on with his life and repressed the embarrassing experience.
The toothbrush remained peacefully in his stomach until Li began to suffer from abdominal pain and gallbladder inflammation in 2014.
“The toothbrush could have remained in the stomach and duodenum for many years before entering the bile duct, causing inflammation and pain. If left untreated, it could touch the liver and cause a fatal infection,” said Liu Jialin, Li’s surgeon.
Liu said they used an endoscope to retrieve the toothbrush, which had “bald” bristles and all of its bristles had dissolved.
Li said he gave up drugs after his suicide attempt and began treatment for HIV. He later married and his wife had two healthy children.
“I forgot about the toothbrush a long time ago and assumed it would have come out on its own,” he said.