Foreign bodies are inserted into the genitourinary tract, especially the urethra, by some people for a variety of reasons. And extracting them is sometimes a challenge. In the journal Urology Case Reports, a team of doctors reports an unfortunate case of insulating foam injected into a person's urethra, almost completely obstructing the canal and filling the bladder.
Several cases of foreign bodies inserted into the urethra are described in the scientific literature, although these events remain rare. These objects can then cause pain, hematuria and trauma to the urethra eventually leading to urethral stricture disease.
As part of a case study, a team of researchers details the case of a 45-year-old man whose partner had inserted a long straw into his urethra connected to a bomb of insulating foam to attempt to alleviate his erectile dysfunction , before inadvertently pulling the trigger. The insulation therefore passed through the urethra all the way before finally filling the bladder.
The patient presented to the emergency department with difficulty urinating and some blood in the urine approximately three weeks later. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis revealed the foreign body. The patient was then taken to the operating room.
"The spray foam was first removed from the bladder and prostatic urethra through a cystotomy “, write the authors. "An attempt was made to remove the foam spray in the urethra anterogradely endoscopically from the cystotomy using a basket, but the patient suffered from urethral stricture and the tight parts of his urethra anchored the spray foam in place ". As the patient has inserted various objects into his urethra before for the purpose of "sexual gratification", this complication could be due to these objects.
In a separate operation (perineal urethrostomy), doctors eventually entered the urethra through a hole drilled in her perineum. The team was then able to recover the remaining foam . However, further operations will be required in order to completely "fix" the patient's urethra.
In the "discussion" part of their study of cases, doctors report that people accustomed to inserting foreign bodies into the genitourinary tract often suffer from mental disorders . “Unfortunately, many patients are recidivists and therefore psychiatric evaluation to prevent re-injury should be considered “, can we read. Regarding the case of this patient, a former homeless person, he was not referred to psychiatry in the absence of repeated episodes since his operation.
