A Bizarre Accident: A Boy with a Needle in the Posterior Urethra

Abstract

Objectives: Self-insertion of penile foreign bodies is a common phenomenon worldwide. In the literature, there are numerous reported cases of self-inflicted foreign objects in the urethra but in Turkey, the reported cases are relatively few and these are usually adult cases. Case: An 11 years-old male presented to the emergency department with inadvertently slipping a needle in his urethra after itching the urethral orifice with the needle. A plain x-ray of the pelvis showed a needle approximately about the level of the posterior urethra. By cystoscopy, the needle is completely removed from the bulbar urethra without any complication. Conclusion: Cases of self-inserted urethral bodies are not rare. Patients often present with voiding symptoms such as dysuria, pyuria, increased urinary frequency, hematuria, urinary retention, and penile or perineal swelling. Pelvic x-ray is usually sufficient for diagnosis; ultrasonography and computerized tomography are the next choices. Endoscopic retrieval is the initial management and, in most cases, it is successful; open surgery is rarely required.