Updated

A needle that was lost in the arm of an amateur tattooist 40 years ago has been found after it pierced his big toe.

Ulf Bergström, of Mala, Sweden, lost the 17 millimeter needle in his arm when he was doing his own tattoo in 1974.

He had X-rays to find the needle at the time without any success and continued life as normal.

“After the needle didn’t ‘get in touch’ I completely forgot about it,” the now 63-year-old Bergstrom told Norran newspaper.

Then late last month, he developed a severe pain in the big toe on his right foot, The Local reported.

He asked his wife to take a look and she saw that there was a large lump. Then to his surprise his wife pulled out the needle, which had entered his body in 1974.

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