1 of 3 Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising
In the world of cinema, the most surprising thing anyone could find in a human body would be actor Dennis Quaid and his miniaturized submarine in Unusual Journey (1987). However, what a team of doctors in the US found in a patient during an exam can make many people’s hair stand on end.
During a preventive colonoscopy for colon cancer, a man in Missouri found a live fly in his colon, surprising the doctors who performed the procedure.
2 of 3 Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising
The procedure went smoothly until doctors reached the transverse colon the area at the top of the large intestine where they found a completely intact fly in the 63yearold man’s body.
The bizarre case was published in an article in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, in which doctors reported: “This case represents a very rare colonoscopic finding.” [É] It is a mystery how the intact fly got into the transverse colon.” One of the hypotheses surrounding the mysterious case is that the patient had eaten contaminated salad the day before the appointment.
3 of 3 Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising Live fly found in human body during colonoscopy Photo: Advertising
When questioned, the man said he had no idea how the insect got into his body and that he had not felt any symptoms. He told doctors that his only preparation was for the exam, which involved drinking clear liquids during the day to cleanse the intestines. He also reported eating pizza and salad the night before the 24hour fast but said he didn’t remember seeing a fly in his food.
There are documented cases where fly eggs survived stomach acid and hatched in the intestines. The resulting infection is clinically referred to as intestinal myiasis. In rare cases as apparently happened with the Missouri patient the larvae grow into adult flies.
And for those who were curious about Unusual Journey, the 1987 film is a remake of a 1966 science fiction film and stars Quaid as a skilled pilot who takes part in an innovative experiment in which humans are miniaturized and transformed into human bodies be introduced.
And in one of his most memorable scenes, he learns he’s going to become a father when he encounters a fetus in the body of his girlfriend, played by Meg Ryan.
Check out the trailer below.
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