These images show a bean found in the ear of a young boy who did not tell his family for two days until it nearly sprouted and had to be removed with surgery.
The eight-year-old, whose full name has not been given, put the mung bean in his right ear canal at school on 4th January.
However, he did not tell his parents until 6th January when he failed to remove the bean and it began causing him discomfort, according to Doctor Feng Xijian, who is with Houjie Hospital in Dongguan, a city in South China’s Guangdong Province.
Doctor Feng said in a hospital report: “The mung bean did not look like it had just been put inside.
“It looked to have come in contact with water and warmth because it was already swelling.
“The bean was resting on the boy’s ear drum, and his ear canal was swollen and had some abrasions.
“It’s possible the bean went deeper into his ear and he suffered some painful abrasions when his parents tried to retrieve it, so he was brought to hospital.
“The boy’s parents said he was curious and put the mung bean in his ear when his classmates gave some to him.”
According to reports, the medic tried to retrieve the bean with a hook, but this was unsuccessful and only caused the boy more pain.
In the end, the boy was wheeled into an operating theatre and the mung bean was removed in a minor surgery.
Doctor Feng said: “The surgery was very successful. It took just 10 minutes to remove the mung bean.
“The surface of the bean had already blackened. Had it been left in his ear canal for a bit longer, it would’ve sprouted, which could’ve caused infections.”
The hospital said the boy was kept under observation for two days and was discharged on the morning of 8th January.
He is expected to make a full recovery.
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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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