The insertion of foreign bodies into the urethra is an unusual, though well documented, practice in which a wide variety of objects has been implicated.^1–3 The activity principally occurs during pathological masturbation, intoxication, or as a consequence of psychiatric disturbance. The foreign body may disappear into the urethra or remain visible at the meatus. In the latter instance, we feel simple removal by traction is likely to be unsuccessful, if not harmful, as illustrated by the following two cases.

A 36 year old man attended the accident …