High-strength Neodymium Magnetic Beads: A Rare Foreign Body in the Bladder of an Adolescent

Abstract

This article reports the case of an adolescent who repeatedly inserted high-strength magnetic beads into his urethra for erotic reasons. The beads migrated into his bladder requiring a cystostomy to remove them. The available literature is reviewed.

Previously Banned Magnets as Foreign Bodies in the Lower Urinary System: A Single-Institution Case Series and Review of the Literature

“…1,12 Urethral insertion of the magnets is less common, and a PubMed English literature review identified only 4 prior pediatric cases, all in adolescent boys (Table 1). 2-5 Recognition and management of rare-earth magnets as FBs in a child’s urinary system requires unique considerations, as illustrated by the diagnostic dilemma in our first case and the barriers to endoscopic removal in both cases.…”

“…Rare-earth magnets (ie, Buckyballs, Zen Magnets, and Neoballs) have been involved in a significant number of foreign body (FB) injuries among adults and children. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Safety concerns in the United States led to a Consumer Product Safety Commission sales ban in 2012, but a 2016 reversal made the magnets widely available to consumers again. 8,9 Although less common than ingestion, transurethral insertion of magnetic FBs can lead to significant morbidity from infection, obstruction, and stone formation.…”

The Practice of ‘Urethral Sounding’ Complicated by Retained Magnetic Beads Within the Bladder and Urethra: Diagnosis and Review of Management

“…Fourteen cases involving the insertion of magnetic beads into the urethra for the purpose of sexual stimulation have been reported since 2011 [9,11–13,15] (Table 1).…”

“…Rafique described 18 cases of intravesical foreign bodies, of which 8 were managed with successful endoscopic retrieval and 8 by open cystostomy, citing their only complications to be related to post-operative infective processes of the wound and urinary tract [3]. Pertaining only to the retrieval of magnetic beads within the bladder and urethra, approaches used reveal that 7 of 12 cases were successfully managed with various methods of endoscopic retrieval, 5 of 12 cases were managed with open cystotomy following failed attempt at endoscopic retrieval, and 1 case was managed first-line with open cystostomy [9,11–13,15]. One case was managed laparoscopically with an extraperitoneal approach to cystostomy and bladder closure following failed endoscopic approach [19].…”

Transurethraal inbrengen van magneetkralen voor seksuele stimulatie: twee patiënten

“…De derde patiënt uit deze serie onderging direct een open verwijdering van de kralen, vanwege blaasretentie en omdat endoscopische benadering bij de voorgaande patiënten had gefaald. Pieretti et al beschreven in 2014 een casus waarbij een 16jarige jongeman 25 magneetkralen had ingebracht tijdens masturbatie voor extra stimulatie [7]. Ondanks pogingen om de kralen te verwijderen met paktangen en steenbaskets, was een sectio alta nodig om alle kralen te verwijderen.…”