Medical condition … a 62-year-old man had a giant ‘boiled’ egg inside him removed. Picture: New England Journal of Medicine Source: Supplied
AFTER more than 20 years of constantly running to the toilet, an elderly man has discovered the source of his discomfort.
A CAT scan revealed a giant “boiled egg” was pressing on the 62-year-old’s bladder.
The giant lump, described as “free-floating, smooth, firm and rubbery”, weighed about 220g, heavier than a large orange.
Green ink was used to highlight the different layers in the fat ball. Picture: New England Journal of Medicine Source: Supplied
The ball was compressing the man’s bladder. Picture: New England Journal of Medicine Source: Supplied
When the “peritoneal loose body” was finally removed, the unidentified man no longer felt like he needed to constantly urinate.
The incredible medical discovery was reported in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Large mass … a laparoscopy revealed a free-floating, smooth, firm, rubbery mass weighing 220g. Picture: New England Journal of Medicine Source: Supplied
Doctors said the 10cm growth contained predominantly fibrous tissue.
“The findings were consistent with a peritoneal loose body, a formation that is thought to result from torsed, infarcted, and detached epiploic appendages that transform into fibrotic masses,” doctors reported.
“Such masses are often asymptomatic when they are small, but they can be large enough to cause extrinsic compression that is associated with bowel obstruction, urinary retention, or (as in this patient) urinary frequency.”
Originally published as Why man urinated non-stop for 20 years