The superglue urethra case involved a 41-year-old man in Iran who sought care at an outpatient clinic after a week of painful urination, suprapubic pain, a weak stream, and incomplete bladder emptying.
What happened next in the superglue urethra case
Clinicians said the patient reported developing incontinence about a month earlier and had tried to manage it for two weeks by inserting superglue into his urethra. Initial use seemed to reduce leakage, but within four days his urine output dropped and urination became increasingly painful.
By the time he arrived at the clinic, two weeks after stopping the glue, he could barely pass urine and was in constant pain, according to the case report.
The diagnosis
On examination, the penis was erect and a firm foreign body was palpable in the penile urethra. Doctors also noted brittle superglue residue at the urethral opening.
A cystoscopy was attempted, but the obstruction prevented passage of the scope. The care team proceeded to emergency surgery to remove the hardened mass.
The treatment
Surgeons made a 2 centimeter incision in the glans and irrigated the urethra with 3 liters of saline over 15 minutes to saturate the glue plug and separate it from the urethral wall, a result achieved with specific maneuvers described in the report.
Once loosened, they extracted a rod-shaped glue cast measuring nearly 10 centimeters in length.
Postoperatively, urination and urinalysis were normal. The patient was discharged on day five with a catheter for 10 days and antibiotics to prevent infection.
At a six-week follow-up, he was voiding normally without complications. Clinicians did not determine the initial cause of his incontinence.
Why this case is notable
Doctors noted that superglue exposure in body cavities is most often reported in the ear or nose, where solvents such as acetone can sometimes be used.
Three prior reports in the medical literature describe intentional superglue insertion into the urethra, and all required endoscopic removal or surgery.
Urethral tissue is delicate, and inserting foreign bodies can cause injury and serious infection. Authors of the report said motivations can include curiosity, intoxication, mental illness, or sexual stimulation.
Case literature describes a variety of objects placed in the urethra, including magnets, pencils, earphones, a dining fork, a thermometer, the ink chamber of a ballpoint pen, the metal tip of a screwdriver, a USB cable, a tree branch, and three AAA batteries.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.