Interesting or Different Anatomy:What have you encountered?

Nurses General Nursing

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We recently had an adult patient that was born with one ventricle. He had surgery to correct this as a baby, but I found it very interesting. If I was a pediatric cardiology nurse I may see this more often, but not in ophthalmology.

I also "have a friend" who has a dual chamber, unihorn uterus. Many jokes during pregnancy of being like a cow (the chambers).

I was just curious what you have seen while out and about in our wonderful world that is Nursing. Please share.

Specializes in Pedi.
You don't see old ladies with uterine prolapse as much as we used to because since health insurance for dependents became more accessible in the 60s and 70s, more women had regular GYN care, and they got their prolapses repaired surgically. Some of us oldsters remember pessaries (which are not those cute little South American rodents) of near-infinite design and origin as SUITs (something up in there). Potatoes, even. Sometimes they sprouted. Ah, the good old days.

My mom had a uterine prolapse probably 5 years ago and her doctor offered her a pessary as an option. I forced her to to the Brigham to get it taken care of.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
My mom had a uterine prolapse probably 5 years ago and her doctor offered her a pessary as an option. I forced her to to the Brigham to get it taken care of.
Warning.......TMI...I had mine done there as well....(he) ranks best in the country
Specializes in ICU, step down, dialysis.

I was doing chart reviews earlier this year at a GYN office and saw several charts where women had an office visit for a "pessary check." No it wasn't an older doc, someone fairly young. Shocked me too.

Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
Yeah, I've seen a prolapsed uterus. That was definitely an interesting sight to behold...

Also had a patient whose entire skin pealed all over the place. I tried to give him a bath, but he just kept flaking EVERYWHERE! I felt so bad for the guy.

Also saw a guy with multiple hernias from his abdomen that looked like Mickey Mouse was in his stomach!

Woo-hoo! Another hidden Mickey. ;)

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Woo-hoo! Another hidden Mickey. ;)
I LOVE hidden Mickeys! And I'm preparing for a week at Disney in December...I'm so excited.
Specializes in Emergency Room.

I had a patient with Marfan's once. He was extremely tall and lanky and developed several spontaneous pneumothoraxes and bleeds in his life. When I had him he had a spontaneous hematoma the size of a mango on his chest. Luckily everything was ok.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Not totally in line with the topic but definitely threw me off on an initial assessment once...

A very elderly and confused but small boned woman with the best "boob job"...and only up close and personal "boob job" I've ever seen...

Just imagine...

Those girls didn't move to the sides when the woman was laying on her back which made auscultation from the chest area very interesting to accomplish...

Specializes in Emergency Room.

Oh- I also had a girl with brittle bone disease (osteogenesis imperfecta) she had tripped and fell on a concrete sidewalk, which was equivalent to a major trauma in a regular person because of the amount of injuries she sustained. Multiple broken bones and heavy blood loss. The poor girl was in such agony.

Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I saw Marfan syndrome in nursing school during my Peds rotation.

Had a patient with a teratoma - basically one organ tissue growing somewhere else. He had TEETH growing in a pressure ulcer on his bottom. Not sure what came first. I looked it up and it turns out these tumor like tissues can grow hair or any other organ. HOLY stem cell potential!!!

Dermoid ovarian cysts can have teeth, hair, muscle. My GYN thought I had one at one time (didn't, it turned out). I felt like he just told me I had Rosemary's Baby growing inside me!

Also saw a guy with multiple hernias from his abdomen that looked like Mickey Mouse was in his stomach!

You just reminded me of a young child I saw during my peds rotation who had an umbilical hernia that was so large and extended, it looked like an elephant's trunk. Actually, when he first pulled his shirt up, I, er, thought it was something else! :whistling: He had this disconcerting habit of playing with it during Story Circle. I sure hope he got that repaired.

Specializes in ED; Med Surg.
You don't see old ladies with uterine prolapse as much as we used to

They still use them quite often though...some older ladies are not candidates for surgery; some (older and younger) just don't want surgery of any kind.

So they are offered pessaries. Not my cuppa tea but different strokes, I guess.

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