A watch, bolts, iron fragments… What Indian doctors discovered in the stomach of a 34-year-old man is beyond belief. Behind this strange scene lies a well-known psychiatric disorder: pica.
A stunning medical discovery in India
On October 9, at Sawai Mansingh Hospital in Jaipur, India, doctors witnessed an unusual situation. A 34-year-old man, suffering from unbearable abdominal pain, was no longer able to eat or drink.
The CT scan quickly revealed the cause of the problem: a watch was stuck in his esophagus. But the surprise didn’t stop there: practitioners also found iron fragments, nuts and bolts in his large intestine.
Faced with the emergency, the medical team performed a three-hour surgical procedure to remove the objects one by one. Man, according to Mirroris now out of danger and is gradually recovering from this operation.
Cases as rare as they are confusing
This type of discovery is not isolated. In Taiwan, a 20-year-old student was hospitalized after six months of persistent pain and an unexplained loss of appetite. Tests revealed the presence of a fountain pen in his stomach, eroded by stomach acid. It was removed immediately to avoid peritonitis. The young woman admitted that she may have swallowed it accidentally during a drunken evening.
In South Korea, in 2019, a 54-year-old man swallowed two kilos of stones, corks and coins. According to the medical report, he would have ingested these objects.to ease anxiety“.
These behaviors, as surprising as they are worrying, refer to a rare but documented psychiatric disorder: pica.
Pica, a little-known but serious disorder
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical, recalls the outlines: “It is a psychiatric eating disorder characterized by the repeated ingestion of inedible substances – metal, glass, earth, plastic, etc. – for at least one month, outside of any cultural or ritual context.“.
Its causes are multiple. “It is found in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mental retardation or autism, but also in cases of nutritional iron or zinc deficiencies, pregnancy or acute stress.“, he explains.
The doctor emphasizes that pica more frequently affects children, people with a mental disability or an autism spectrum disorder, but also certain adults living in precarious circumstances or in great psychological distress. “It also happens that this behavior is used in prison or in a detention center to cause hospitalization and temporarily escape the judicial system.“, he adds.
Potentially fatal consequences
This disorder is not trivial. “Ingestion of sharp or large objects can cause perforation of the digestive tract, internal bleeding or intestinal obstruction, sometimes fatal.“, warns Dr. Kierzek.
The risks of poisoning are also major: certain substances, such as batteries or heavy metals, can cause serious damage to the liver, kidneys or nervous system.
In emergency services, the priority is to quickly identify the nature and location of swallowed objects. X-ray, CT scan, then surgery if necessary. “Surgical intervention is only indicated in the event of blockage, risk of perforation, hemorrhage or intoxication.specifies the doctor.
But the support does not end with the operation. “In other situations, endoscopic extraction or spontaneous elimination may be considered under hospital supervision.“, he continues.
The main thing, he reminds us, is to act on the root cause: “Psychiatric care is essential to prevent recurrences. It is based on psychotherapy, correction of deficiencies and social support.“.