A doctor has sparked widespread online curiosity after sharing a bizarre X-ray image that reveals a rare medical condition known as lithopedion, or ‘stone baby’. The image, posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Dr Sam Ghali, quickly went viral, garnering more than 488k views and prompting numerous reactions from baffled users.
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“Here’s one of the craziest X-rays I’ve ever seen,” Ghali wrote in the caption. “What’s the diagnosis?”
The image appears to show a foetus calcified inside a woman’s body—a phenomenon so unusual that many users initially questioned whether it was real.
Check out the post here:
‘Stone child’: A rare medical mystery
In a follow-up post, Dr Ghali explained the mystery behind the image. “Answer: Lithopedion,” he wrote. “A lithopedion is a very rare complication of ectopic pregnancy. The term is derived from the Greek words ‘lithos’ (stone) and ‘paedion’ (child), hence: ‘stone child’ or ‘stone baby’.”
{{/usCountry}}In a follow-up post, Dr Ghali explained the mystery behind the image. “Answer: Lithopedion,” he wrote. “A lithopedion is a very rare complication of ectopic pregnancy. The term is derived from the Greek words ‘lithos’ (stone) and ‘paedion’ (child), hence: ‘stone child’ or ‘stone baby’.”
{{/usCountry}}He further explained that it occurs when a non-viable, extrauterine foetus continues to develop beyond the first trimester before dying. “The mother’s immune system recognises it as a foreign body and then calcifies it in order to wall it off and prevent infection,” he said.
Such cases are typically asymptomatic and often go unnoticed for years, only being discovered incidentally during surgery or medical imaging.
Take a look here at his post:
“If you’re new to my account—follow me if you want to learn about medical emergencies,” Ghali added in another tweet.
Internet reacts
The post triggered a wave of comments, with many expressing shock, disbelief, and fascination.
“This is horrifying and incredible at the same time,” one user wrote, while another commented, “I thought this was a hoax until I looked it up. Absolutely wild.”
“Medical science never fails to amaze me,” said another, with a fourth user adding, “Imagine carrying this without even knowing for years.”
One particularly stunned user wrote, “That’s something straight out of a horror movie,” while another simply said, “I have no words. Just wow.”