Giant Kidney Stone Stuck Inside Man's Body for Two Months

A giant kidney stone or renal calculus was apparently stuck inside a man's body for two months, according to a viral Reddit post that circulated in recent days. The man was reportedly left in excruciating pain during the said period but was able to survive his ordeal following a medical operation.

Giant Kidney Stone

Based on the viral Reddit post, user Psytoxic uploaded photo last week showing the giant kidney stone next to a banana, emphasizing the former's above-normal size.

The Reddit user captioned that he was able to get through the kidney stone after two months of intermittent pain. The post received over 75,000 upvotes and 6,500 comments as of Wednesday, September 28.

The complete details, including identity and location, of the man with the giant kidney stone remains unclear at the time of reporting on Monday, September 26.

Kidney Stones Causes and Symptoms

Also called as renal calculi, nephrolithiasis, or urolithiasis, kidney stones are crystal-like particles made of minerals and salts that form inside one's kidneys. Health authorities assert that unhealthy diet, excessive body weight, certain medical conditions, and medical supplements are some of the myriad causes of kidney stones.

However, anecdotal evidence and medical records reportedly show that drinking very small amount of water and consuming too much salt or sugar are the main causes of the formation of kidney stones. Furthermore, the most evident symptoms of kidney stones include excruciating or severe pain below the ribs, radiating to the lower abdomen and groin area.

Kidney Stones Cases

The National Kidney Foundation estimates more than 500,000 people go to emergency rooms due to kidney stone problems and project 1/10 people that will have a kidney stone at some point in their lives. In the United States, kidney stone cases spiked from 3.8% the late 1970s to 8.8% in the late 2000s.

The foundation adds that kidney stone prevalence had risen by 10% between 2013 and 2014, as well as affecting around 11% of men and 9% of women. The risk of obtaining kidney stones is elevated by high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

World's Heaviest Kidney Stone

The title holder for the world's largest kidney stone or world's heaviest kidney stone goes back over a decade ago.

The Guinness World Records in June 2021 tweeted that the heaviest kidney stone weighed 620 grams, which is equivalent to four billiard balls. It was removed by doctors from a man in Pakistan named Wazir Muhammad in 2008.

In 2019, a case report published in the International Medical Case Reports Journal highlights a bizarre case of 32-year-old man who had a giant ureteral stone or ureteric calculus. It was found through an x-ray showing a large kidney stone about 14 centimeters in length and 106 grams in weight. The condition was treated using a combination of open and endoscopic techniques.

If left untreated, kidney stones can cause health complications and extreme pain since it can eventually block the ureters or make them narrower. Furthermore, loss of kidney function and kidney infections are also a possibility.