Cello scrotum is a hoax medical condition originally published as a brief

case report In medicine, a case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrenc ...

in the '' British Medical Journal'' in 1974. As its name suggests, it was purportedly an affliction of the

scrotum The scrotum or scrotal sac is an anatomical male reproductive structure located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. It is present in most terrestrial male mammals. The scrotum co ...

affecting male players of the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...

History

The original letter was written by Elaine Murphy but signed by her husband

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

. The journal had printed an earlier report about 'guitar nipple', a condition said to occur when some styles of

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

playing excessively irritate the player's

nipple The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in females, milk leaves the breast through the lactiferous ducts to feed an infant. The milk can flow through the nipple passively or it can be ejected by smooth m ...

(a form of

contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are ...

similar to

jogger's nipple Fissure of the nipple, colloquially referred to as "jogger's nipple", is a condition that is the result of chafing of one or both nipples. This can occur in both men and women during physical exercise such as long-distance running where there is ...

), which Murphy and her husband believed was likely a joke. Murphy now points out that even a cursory study of the cellist's

posture Posture or posturing may refer to: Medicine * Human position ** Abnormal posturing, in neurotrauma ** Spinal posture ** List of human positions * Posturography Posturography is the technique used to quantify postural control in upright stance in ...

would show that the 'cello scrotum' complaint would not occur. The unlikelihood of a cellist's posture contributing to scrotal injury was raised back in 1974, but seems to have been overlooked. Murphy admitted the hoax in 2009 in another letter to the ''BMJ'' after an article in the 2008 Christmas edition of the ''BMJ'' made reference to the complaint. The truth of the case report had already been questioned in the medical literature in 1991. (in reference to ) Others have cited it, although expressing scepticism. The implications of this and other hoax medical letters for evidence-based medicine and

public understanding of science Public awareness of science (PAwS) is everything relating to the awareness, attitudes, behaviors, opinions, and activities that comprise the relations between the general public or lay society as a whole to scientific knowledge and organization. ...

were discussed by Séamus Mac Suibhne.

References

Humorous hoaxes in science Cellos Hoaxes in the United Kingdom Occupational diseases 1974 in science 1974 hoaxes Scrotum {{science-stub

History

See also

References