# when the little feet appear in the brain... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 20, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041 "2008-12-20T06:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/1 "2008-12-20T06:06:02Z")
In an old column, Cecil responded with an “ewwww” to this question: [Do Some Tumors Contain the Beginnings of a Baby?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1283/do-some-tumors-contain-the-beginnings-of-a-baby) News article on a recent example of the phenomenon: [Tumour in newborn’s brain contained foot](http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2008/12/18/7792006-ap.html). > [@](#): > > A pediatric neurosurgeon says a tumour he removed from the brain of a U.S. infant contained a tiny foot and other partially formed body parts. > … > Grabb says that while removing the growth, he discovered it contained a nearly perfect foot and the formation of another foot, a hand and a thigh. > > “It looked like the breach delivery of a baby, coming out of the brain,” Grabb said. “To find a perfectly formed structure (like this) is extremely unique, unusual, borderline unheard of.” All together now, with Unca Cec: “Ewwww!” ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/2 "2008-12-24T20:07:34Z")
:eek: I am agog and abashed! Ewwwwww… Indeed!! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/3 "2008-12-24T22:39:30Z")
Something odd is afoot. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/4 "2008-12-26T06:12:42Z")
Well, that’s how Athena was born. Only this time it apparently didn’t involve a full-grown goddess dressed in a suit of armor. Or it did, and they just don’t want us to know. In a more pedestrian context, on Xmas eve I dissected an ovarian teratoma that contained, in addition to a full crop of hair, sebaceous goo and some unidentifiable organ tissue, three unusually well-formed teeth. If you put those under your pillow, does the Teratoma Fairy leave cash? Or something…different? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/5 "2008-12-26T10:39:22Z")
Coupons. She used to leave Green Stamps, but that’s a thing of the past. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/6 "2008-12-26T13:26:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > In a more pedestrian context, on Xmas eve I dissected an ovarian teratoma that contained, in addition to a full crop of hair, sebaceous goo and some unidentifiable organ tissue, three unusually well-formed teeth. If you put those under your pillow, does the Teratoma Fairy leave cash? Or something…different? :eek: Do teratomas proceed from parthenogenesis gone awry, or a malformed fertilized ovum? ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/7 "2008-12-26T21:48:47Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Something odd is afoot. Nice! There’s something in there about soul/sole, too, but I can’t quite put it together. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/8 "2008-12-28T08:05:12Z")
WHERE ARE THE PICTURES _I’ll_ see how well-formed this foot was. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/9 "2008-12-28T16:27:08Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > WHERE ARE THE PICTURES > > _I’ll_ see how well-formed this foot was. [Here you go](http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2230806). WARNING! Not for the squeamish. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/10 "2008-12-28T17:14:01Z")
I wonder what relationship DNA testing would reveal. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/11 "2008-12-30T03:06:14Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2230806). WARNING! Not for the squeamish. Holy crap. Btw, what is it attached to? Does it grow out of the brain itself? ---
**Author:** ![Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3da27b/32.png) [@Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nikki_Tikki_Tavi)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/12 "2008-12-30T03:16:22Z")
I had an ovarian cyst removed last fall that had teeth and hair in it. :barf: I sooo want to look at that link. But bedtime is in half an hour and I can’t be up screaming all night. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/13 "2008-12-30T04:13:33Z")
After the thread that had the surprise link to the nipple worm or whatever the hell it was (and that picture wasn’t even REAL!), I don’t think I can bear to look at this image, no matter how curious I am. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/14 "2008-12-30T22:35:24Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2230806). WARNING! Not for the squeamish. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Stathol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Stathol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stathol)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/15 "2008-12-30T23:23:57Z")
When he’s older and his parents tell him about all this, I wonder what will be running through his mind … ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Harley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Race\_Harley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Harley)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/16 "2008-12-31T06:27:41Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2230806). WARNING! Not for the squeamish. Whoa! Not what I was expecting but… Whoa! ---
**Author:** ![Histrion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@Histrion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Histrion)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-little-feet-appear-in-the-brain/478041/17 "2009-01-02T15:37:59Z")
> [@Stathol](#): > > When he’s older and his parents tell him about all this, I wonder what will be running through his mind … Booooooooo…