Pencil extracted from Afghan man's head Published duration 29 May 2013

image caption A scan revealed the pencil's location so that doctors could operate

German doctors say an Afghan man who for years suffered from headaches, a runny nose and eyesight problems was found to have a 10-centimetre (four-inch) pencil lodged in his head.

Surgeons at Aachen University Hospital removed the pencil and the 24-year-old is reported to be recovering.

The pencil had injured the man's sinuses and right eye socket.

When asked how the pencil had got there he recalled that as a boy he had once fallen and had a serious nosebleed.

The case was presented at a medical conference in Essen on Tuesday by Prof Frank Hoelzle of Aachen University.