Fish Removed From Bladder

An interesting case study is reported in the Internet Journal of Urology (2007, Vol. 4, #2). It's titled "Unusual Foreign Body In Urinary Bladder: A Case Report."

A 14-year-old Indian boy showed up at a hospital complaining of pain and difficulty urinating. He claimed that a fish had lodged itself in his penis. His story, according to the doctors:

While he was cleaning the fish tank in his house, he was holding a fish in his hand and went to the toilet for passing urine. While he was passing urine, the fish slipped from his hand and entered his urethra and then he developed all these symptoms.

Sure enough, he DID have a dead fish in his bladder. Initial attempts to remove it with a biopsy forceps were unsuccessful. The fish was too slippery to grasp onto. But with the help of a rigid ureteroscope they got it out.

The doctors seem a little skeptical of the boy's story. They note that, "Introduction into the bladder may be through self-insertion, iatrogenic means or migration from adjacent organs."

Books Selected and endorsed for Pure Weirdness by Your WU Team

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 28, 2008
Category: Animals | Medicine

Comments

Wow, that little fish had awesome aim -- saw the urethra and just went for it. And in all the time I've cleaned my fish tanks, I've never once felt the need to hold the fish in my hands, let alone take them in to pee!

Posted by BikerPuppy on 08/28/08 at 12:28 PM

Pablo -- the doctors actually discuss the Candiru, but evidently this fish was no relation to that species. Actually, they seemed skeptical that Candiru themselves were real.

Posted by Alex on 08/28/08 at 12:49 PM

Eeeek! I thought I was safe because I'm a girl, but not according to wikipedia.

Posted by BikerPuppy on 08/28/08 at 01:03 PM

Oh, damn you, Pablo. I followed the trail of links from your video up there. I'm now mortified beyond belief. Brain parasites, round worms, tapeworms, and various parasites of surely demonic origin... I'll never eat again.

Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 08/28/08 at 03:40 PM

"Introduction into the bladder may be through ... iatrogenic means ... ." Uh, a doctor inserted the fish? Must the doctor (see story above) who has a Bluetooth stuck to head his during surgery.

Posted by Eris, Goddess of Discord on 08/28/08 at 04:43 PM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.