Doctors in the United States were shocked while performing a colonoscopy on a 63-year-old man and found an intact housefly in his intestine. This embodies a rare colonoscopy finding. It was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
A 63-year-old patient from Missouri went to the hospital for a routine colonoscopy check-up, and he was taking only clear liquids 24 hours before the examination as a part of the pre-colonoscopy protocol. The colonoscopy procedure is used to examine the entire colon or large intestine, including the colon, rectum, and anus, and it is a type of endoscopy to look for irritated, swollen tissues and cancers present in the large intestine. The colonoscopy is a long, flexible tube that has a light with a small video camera at one end that lets the doctor view the inside of the entire colon. The examination went normally at the start, and they removed a few polyps present at the lining of the intestine. They were shocked by the housefly in the intestine. The fly was found in the traverse section of the colon, which was fully intact. There is no movement on its own or with the colonoscope. Matthew Bechtold, the chief of gastroenterology at the University of Missouri, speaking separately to the Independent, said he and other doctors poked the fly and ensured it was dead.
The patient had no symptoms, and he had no idea how the fly ended up inside his body as he didn't eat for 24 hours, only clear liquids. The doctors from the University of Missouri School of Medicine wrote in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, "This case represents a very rare colonoscopic finding and a mystery as to how the unharmed fly found its way to the transverse colon."
The doctors are saying that flies lay eggs rarely on fruits and vegetables and that they survive stomach acids, hatch, and infest the intestine. This condition is called intestinal myiasis. According to the CDC, some infected patients are asymptomatic, while others have abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Doctors can prescribe antiparasitic medications to clear up the infestation.
This case shows the importance of hygiene. Checking the fruits and vegetables while buying to see if any eggs or insects are present and washing thoroughly before consuming is crucial.
(Input from various media sources)
