A colonoscopy in the UK ended with unusual consequences, which surprised even doctors. Keith Siau, a gastroenterologist at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, found an insect in the colon of a 59-year-old male patient when he was conducting the mandatory inspection of that area of the body.
A gastroenterologist discovered a ladybug inside a 59-year-old man during an ‘uncomfortable but sometimes life-saving’ method of ‘internal plumbing’ known as a colonoscopy.
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While the human body has a way of evolving functions and systems, such as those for processing foods, it is not unheard of for some ‘disrepairs’ to occur, especially given that humans enjoy eating a variety of foods with varying health effects.
Fortunately, modern developments such as colonoscopy allow doctors to examine the human body through the rectum for signs of diseases such as cancer or abnormalities in the large intestine.
One can only imagine how this 59-year-old man reacted to the ladybug sighting when he was just having his colon examined for health reasons.
It may be uncomfortable when a tiny video camera at the tip of a tube is inserted into the human body to view the inside of the entire large intestine, but that is what preparation is for.
To get the ‘best images’ and a ‘picture-perfect colon,’ the patient will have to abstain from food and drink as much as possible, as well as take 1 gallon of polyethylene glycol, an osmotic laxative used to treat constipation, which the researchers believe is the ladybug’s savior for surviving inside the digestive tract.
“The patient’s colonoscopy preparation was 1 gallon of polyethylene glycol the evening before colonoscopy, and the colonoscopy examination was otherwise normal,” wrote the authors.
“His colonoscopy preparation may have helped the bug to escape from digestive enzymes in the stomach and upper small intestine.”
While it is still unclear how the bug got inside the colon, the jury concluded that it most likely did so while the man was sleeping.
Ladybugs aren’t the only beetle capable of surviving (in the intact corpse sense) a trip down colon lane. In a series of tweets, gastrointestinal specialist Dr Keith Siau shared several case studies where cockroaches had also been discovered during colonoscopies, proving that even with our advanced science and medicine we remain – sometimes, quite literally – at one with nature
Ladybugs aren’t the only beetles capable of surviving a trip down colon lane (in the intact corpse sense). The doctor shared several case studies in which cockroaches were discovered during colonoscopies, demonstrating that, despite our advanced science and medicine, we are still – quite literally – at one with nature.
Continuing the tour of insects found during colonoscopy, I present Exhibit B: ladybird ???? https://t.co/LLwIZTFPF9 pic.twitter.com/GXJAnsmyH3
— Keith Siau (@drkeithsiau) August 1, 2021
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Another day, another cockroach diagnosed on colonoscopy ???? ????????https://t.co/tv3zGlbgrE pic.twitter.com/lqhdlFcecZ
— Keith Siau (@drkeithsiau) July 31, 2021
“Bug ingestions are rarely reported but can occur even during sleep,” the authors wrote in their paper.
Image Credit: Getty