A 35-year-old man went to a hospital in China due to discomfort while urinating and blood in his urine. He had no other noticeable health issues, his vital signs were stable, and he seemed to be in good condition. However, further testing revealed a shadowy shape near his heart, prompting doctors to conduct additional imaging. They discovered something troubling: a 1.4-inch sewing needle was positioned close to his heart.
This case was discussed in a study published in September 2026 by Springer Nature Link. As doctors performed further scans, they were surprised by the findings. A contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed several “needle-like metallic foreign bodies” located throughout his body. The needles were found near his abdomen, pelvis, bladder, and genital area, with one pin having pierced the pericardium, the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart. The patient was taken into surgery, where the intact sewing needle was extracted from his pericardium. Signs of extensive corrosion suggested that the needle had been there for a significant period.
After the surgery, the man’s heart function declined quickly due to the stress from the procedure and the internal damage caused by the needle. Fortunately, he made a good recovery and was able to leave the hospital after nine days. At a follow-up appointment nine months later, his heart was found to be stable.
Doctors thought that the man might have inserted the objects himself. While the sewing needle was removed, other needles remained inside him. The medical team decided to monitor these remaining objects for any health issues before considering further surgery. They were puzzled by how the needles had ended up in his body, as there were no visible entry wounds or scars. The patient, who had a history of intellectual disabilities, could not provide an explanation, nor could his father, who was his legal caregiver.
One detail from the man’s past provided a clue. The doctors learned that two years prior, he had undergone surgery at a different hospital to remove two foreign objects from his abdomen. This led the medical team to suspect he might be engaging in self-embedding, a rare behavior where individuals intentionally insert foreign objects into their bodies, which can include items like glass, paper clips, and pins. Self-embedding can cause serious harm and even be fatal.
Though not commonly discussed, cases of self-embedding have been documented by mental health professionals for many years. One notable case involved the serial killer Albert Fish, who was discovered with nearly 30 needles embedded in his groin and more in his abdomen. Reports of similar cases increased in the 1980s, but the trend became more alarming in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when instances among teenagers were observed. At a medical conference in Chicago in 2008, radiologists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital presented X-ray findings showing that 11 out of 505 patients treated over more than ten years had inserted items like crayons and paper clips under their skin.
Harvard psychology professor Matthew Nock noted that those who harm themselves often experience heightened physiological responses to stress, struggle with distress tolerance, and have challenges with social problem-solving skills. Inserting a foreign object not only increases the risk of infection at the site but can also affect deeper muscles or bones. Additionally, the object could damage arteries, veins, nerves, or tendons and may migrate within the body, leading to serious consequences.
What are your thoughts on this unusual case?
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Source: Bored Panda, by Analice Couto