The World's Weirdest X-Rays


From broken bones to disease the X-Ray is one of the most useful medical advancements in history. But as these images show they can also reveal some of the most gruesome and bizarre results. Here, an X-ray shows the abdomen of a patient that has swallowed two forks, a ballpoint pen and a toothbrush. The items are located in the intestine


The comical yet disturbing results are taken from hospitals around the world and show how accidents come in all shapes and sizes. This X-ray shows a nail (upper centre) lodged in bones of the index and middle fingers of an adult male, having penetrated through the skin


A historical X-ray of the foot of a Boer War (1899-1902) soldier, showing a gunshot wound. A Mauser bullet has become lodged between the metatarsal bones of the big and second toes. The bullet has not broken any bones; but the end phalanges of the toes are deformed, perhaps from tight army boots and long marches. This radiograph was made by the soldier positioning his foot above a photographic plate, while an open electric discharge tube emitted the X-rays


A coloured X-ray of a key (outlined in red, top right) swallowed by a 7-year-old boy


A coloured X-ray of objects swallowed and lodged in the intestine of a patient, including a spoon and a blade.


A coloured X-ray of an object (safety pin) lodged in the oesophagus of a woman


A coloured X-ray (front view) of the chest of a 60-year-old patient with schizophrenia, showing a foreign body (24mm diameter) inhaled into an airway (bronchus) of the lung


An X-ray of the foot of a patient who stood on a fork


A coloured X-ray of the abdomen of a patient with dementia that has swallowed a razor (centre left) and razor blades (upper right)


Another patient who stood on a fork


A coloured X-ray of a knife (upper right) in the chest cavity


An X-ray of a bullet (conical object at centre left) embedded in the chest of a patient


An X-ray showing a toothbrush that was swallowed as a 'dare'