Chapter 2520: with translation of chapter title

2430 heard of it, never seen.

A man being pregnant—this claim is similar to the various gossip news printed on those tabloids sold at train stations in the past.

Lin Yuan definitely never read such nutritionally worthless tabloids, and even Zheng Renhe and Su Yun, who are a bit older, never did either. They are products of the early reform and opening-up era, even older than the age of stall literature.

Gao Shaojie knew that, but he didn't think in that direction; instead, he focused on examining the imaging data.

On the earliest image, the abdominal mass measured 10×12×6 cm, showing fatty-density areas and soft-tissue shadows inside.

There were other images as well—for example, a piece Gao Shaojie thought was a rib, and another he thought was a lower leg.

The liver could be vaguely seen, but there was no heart.

If Gao Shaojie were asked to diagnose based on just one image, he would call it a teratoma. Although it differs somewhat from a typical teratoma, he doesn't think any other diagnosis is possible.

But when the two images are compared, the problem becomes apparent.

The most recent image shows the mass measuring 28×25×18 cm, extending from the lower edge of the liver in the upper abdomen down into the pelvic cavity.

Inside the mass are fatty-density areas and soft tissue, plus calcified tissue of varying sizes and shapes resembling vertebrae, ribs, and long bones.

Compared with the earlier film, these tissues have been growing rather than stopping, so it's no wonder Su Yun and Feng Jianguo thought… pregnancy.

As time passed, the tumor grew larger and began compressing surrounding organs. The patient had partial dilation of intestinal loops and impaired peristalsis—in other words, the patient's last hospital visit was due to an incomplete intestinal obstruction.

"Hmm, saying it's a pregnancy isn't wrong." Zheng Ren, arms crossed, looked at the images and said in a low voice, "It's a fairly typical parasitic twin—prepare for Shou Bing."

"I told you so!" Feng Jianguo clenched his left fist and struck it against his right palm, making a muffled "pah" sound.

"Brother Feng, you couldn't possibly have never seen one, could you?" Su Yun asked.

"Yeah, I've heard of it but never seen it. This is the first time I've seen imaging of a parasitic twin; before, I only saw it in books." Feng Jianguo had no embarrassment, openly admitting it.

"I haven't seen one either. Boss, have you ever seen one?"

"No, the odds are one in five hundred thousand—not something you see easily. Based on probability and condition, the Women and Children's Hospital would likely encounter it more often." Zheng Ren said: "Usually it's noticed after a child is born when something seems off—either persistent fever or…"

"I've seen a Photo of a child with three legs; the final diagnosis was parasitic twin, and Shou Bing was performed at five months of age." Su Yun said.

"To have coexisted for 24 years is truly remarkable." Zheng Ren said: "You can see the parasitic twin has abdominal organs, but no brain or heart—keeping it serves no purpose."

Feng Jianguo said: "Zheng Lao Ban, should I admit the patient?"

"Huh?" Zheng Ren glanced at Feng Jianguo.

"I've never done it—let me watch you do it once." Feng Jianguo said with a chuckle.

"I've never done it either..." Zheng Ren said helplessly. However, he didn't oppose Feng Jianguo's suggestion; for a case with a probability of several hundred thousand to one, claiming he didn't want to operate would be false.

This, accumulated over time, becomes rich clinical experience.

"The parasitic twin's fetus is still growing, so there must be a blood supply." Feng Jianguo said: "I'm not daring to cut into it."

"Just dissect it, find the Blood Vessel and ligate it—Feng Brother, you're being totally fake."

"The point is…" Feng Jianguo forced a smile and said: "Isn't it just that I'm a bit scared to go up there? Even bringing Xiao Cao along, I'm afraid she'll faint."

"Science, science!" Su Yun emphasized science while asking: "What's there to be afraid of?"

"I know this patient's mother—she was my elementary school classmate. When she was pregnant that year, I was still in school, and she told me she ran into a fortune-teller who said she was carrying twins, specifically a dragon-and-phoenix pair."

"Later she only gave birth to one child, never expecting this to come true here."

"Ha, there really are such fortune-tellers?" Su Yun chuckled: "Don't believe that nonsense—the type that asks for your birth characters right away usually has some basis, but to come out and say you're pregnant with twins right off the bat is just ridiculous."

"Huh." Feng Jianguo gave a dry laugh, not knowing what exactly he was afraid of inside.

Perhaps it's a man pregnant? Or perhaps it's that parasitic twin that has been growing inside him for 24 years?

Zheng Ren suddenly thought of Master Song; if we follow logic, the parasitic twin is more like a demon fetus.

"All right." Zheng Ren ended the Conversation: "Brother Feng, admit the patient, get the pre-op ready on your end, and just schedule the Shou Bing."

"Brother Feng, we have to do TIPS this morning—can't be delayed. Let's grab lunch at noon, then how about doing it this Afternoon?" Su Yun immediately added.

"No problem."

Zheng Ren then carefully examined the other imaging data and the blood test results from the local Hospital, confirmed everything was correct, gathered the materials, and handed them to Feng Jianguo.

"Zheng Lao Ban, I'm heading out then." Feng Jianguo said.

After he left, Lin Yuan finally remarked: "I saw abdominal organs—I wonder if the parasitic twin's organs actually Function!"

"What's there to make a big fuss about?" Su Yun said disparagingly: "Generally, a parasitic twin is a rare disease formed from abnormal development of a monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy. The sac contains an irregular mass resembling a fetus; on close inspection, one can distinguish the head, torso, and limb buds, with digit-like structures at the extremities."

"Simply put, it's an abnormal twin." Zheng Ren said: "If put bluntly, the Advantage individual has absorbed almost all the nutrients, leaving the other struggling to grow."

"Boss, your explanation isn't rigorous." Su Yun said.

"Just put it simply: under the Microscope, a parasitic twin is enclosed in a fibrous sac covered by a single layer of epithelium or squamous epithelium, showing mature components such as Bone, intestinal tissue, brain tissue, fat tissue, and respiratory epithelium."

"That one just now—I saw a head, but it was empty inside." Lin Yuan thought, also seeming a bit afraid.

Especially since the Advantage individual absorbed the vast majority of nutrients in the mother's body, this explanation feels even more eerie and uncanny.

"This patient's parasitic twin lacks brain tissue, but we can see an image of a developed uterus." Zheng Ren said: "If it had developed normally, it should have been a dragon-and-phoenix twin. Too bad the sister never developed a heart or brain…"

"Boss, have you ever heard of a case where everything develops fully?" Su Yun suddenly asked.

One shouldn't dwell on this too much—the more you think about it, the creepier it gets. If both twins were fully developed, with one inside the other's abdominal cavity, what would that be like?

Breaking out of the cocoon, or…

Lin Yuan shivered, looking out the window at the overcast sky, which made her even more afraid.