lithopaedion


lith·o·pe·di·on

, lithopedium (lith'ō-pē'dē-on, -ŭm) A retained fetus, usually extrauterine in the abdominal cavity, which has become calcified.
Synonym(s): lithopaedion. [litho- + G. paidion, small child]

lithopaedion

Lithopedion, a dead fetus, sometimes of full-term development, that has been retained in the womb, or in the abdominal cavity, and, eventually, calcifies. Literally, a ‘stone child’ lithopaedion is a very rare phenomenon. There is a recorded case of a woman of 69 who had carried her lithopaedion in her womb for 28 years.