An Unexpected Foreign Body (a Thermometer) in the Bladder: A Case Report

Abstract

Foreign bodies in the bladder are rarely observed because of difficult access. These patients usually have a mental disorder, a background of intense sexual perversion, or inquisitiveness. A 48-year-old, deaf, and mentally retarded woman was referred to the nephrology clinic for severe anemia and impaired renal function. Imaging tests showed a mercury thermometer positioned in the bladder and a stone, 5 cm in diameter, around it. This had caused bilateral ureteral obstruction. The patient underwent an open cysteotomy. Obstructive uropathy is one of the causes of kidney failure; therefore, foreign bodies should be included in the differential diagnosis. Keywords: Bladder, Foreign bodies, Obstructive uropathy, Thermometer