The World's Weirdest X-Rays

Attachment 21978
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

Attachment 21979
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

Attachment 21980
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

Attachment 21981
A coloured X-ray of a key (outlined in red, top right) swallowed by a 7-year-old boy

Attachment 21982
A coloured X-ray of objects swallowed and lodged in the intestine of a patient, including a spoon and a blade.

Attachment 21983
A coloured X-ray of an object (safety pin) lodged in the oesophagus of a woman

Attachment 21984
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

Attachment 21985
An X-ray of the foot of a patient who stood on a fork

Attachment 21986
A coloured X-ray of the abdomen of a patient with dementia that has swallowed a razor (centre left) and razor blades (upper right)

Attachment 21987
Another patient who stood on a fork

Attachment 21988
A coloured X-ray of a knife (upper right) in the chest cavity

Attachment 21989
An X-ray of a bullet (conical object at centre left) embedded in the chest of a patient

Attachment 21990
An X-ray showing a toothbrush that was swallowed as a 'dare'