Chronic Infectious Complications of Recreational Urethral Sounding With Retained Foreign Body

Dubert M Guerrero; Aishwarya Sharma

doi:10.7759/cureus.9750

Chronic Infectious Complications of Recreational Urethral Sounding With Retained Foreign Body

Cureus. 2020 Aug 14;12(8):e9750. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9750.

Authors

Dubert M Guerrero^{1

2}, Aishwarya Sharma³

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Diseases, Sanford Health, Fargo, USA.
² Internal Medicine, University of North Dakota, Fargo, USA.
³ Infectious Disease, Sanford Health, Fargo, USA.

Abstract

The practice of recreational urethral sounding involves insertion of foreign body in the urethra usually for sexual gratification. We present a case of a 62-year-old male with longstanding recurrent urinary tract infections complicated with Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteremia, discitis, and osteomyelitis at T12-L1 vertebral level associated with left psoas abscess secondary to a retained foreign body inserted into his urethra and urinary bladder. He had extraction of foreign body, cystoscopy, and open cystolithotripsy. He received long-term antibiotics and back surgery resulting in residual chronic back pain. This case illustrates important chronic infectious complications associated with the high-risk sexual practice of urethral sounding.

Keywords: diskitis; infection; sounding.

Publication types

Case Reports