Doctors at the People's Hospital in Yuxi City say they made the discovery after patient Mr. Ni, also known as Li Fu, visited seeking treatment for what he suspected was ear canal disease.
He was apparently stabbed in the head during a robbery in 2006, but doctors who treated him at the time did not realize the 4-inch-long knife was embedded in his head. The blade showed up clearly after CT scans were taken.
Xu Wen, deputy director of the stomatology department, said there was no sign of an external wound and there was no clear explanation as to how the blade became lodged in Ni's lower right jaw.
Ni said he had suffered frequent headaches ever since the battle with the robber. He also suffered occasional bleeding from the mouth and had difficulty swallowing, according to reports. His voice also became hoarse and he sometimes found it hard to speak coherently.
The man claimed he had undergone several hospital examinations, but doctors had been unable to find a cause for his symptoms.
Although badly rusted, the removed blade was well preserved and retained its sharp edges.
Doctors said was a miracle he survived this long with that type of injury.
