Cello scrotum
A hoax medical condition about cellists' scrotal irritation.
Cello scrotum is a fabricated medical condition that first appeared as a short case report in the British Medical Journal in 1974. The name refers to a supposed ailment of the scrotum in male cellists.
The original letter was composed by Elaine Murphy, though it was submitted under her husband John’s name. The Murphys suspected that an earlier BMJ report on “guitar nipple”—a skin irritation from guitar playing—was a joke, and they decided to create a similar hoax. Elaine Murphy later noted that even a basic look at how a cellist sits shows that the claimed injury could not happen. This implausibility was pointed out in 1974 but went largely unnoticed.
In 2009, after a 2008 BMJ Christmas article mentioned the condition, Murphy admitted the hoax in a letter to the journal. The case had already been questioned in medical literature as early as 1991, and while some authors cited it, they often expressed doubt. The broader impact of such hoax letters on evidence-based medicine and public understanding of science was examined by Séamus Mac Suibhne.
- field
- Medical hoax
- known_for
- Hoax condition 'cello scrotum'
- publication_year
- 1974
- journal
- British Medical Journal
- hoax_admitted
- 2009
Lore & Background
The original letter was written by Elaine Murphy but signed by her husband John. The journal had printed an earlier report about 'guitar nipple', a condition said to occur when some styles of guitar playing excessively irritate the player's nipple (a form of contact dermatitis similar to jogger's nipple), which Murphy and her husband believed was likely a joke. Murphy now points out that even a cursory study of the cellist's posture would show that the 'cello scrotum' complaint would not occur.
Reader's Guide
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. 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 were discussed by Séamus Mac Suibhne.
Did You Know?
- The original letter was written by Elaine Murphy but signed by her husband John.
- The hoax was admitted in 2009 after a 2008 BMJ Christmas article referenced the complaint.
- The truth of the case report had already been questioned in medical literature in 1991.
- The condition was inspired by a previous report on 'guitar nipple' that the Murphys believed was a joke.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cello scrotum?
Cello scrotum is a made-up medical condition that describes a fictional scrotal irritation supposedly suffered by male cellists. It was published as a brief case report in the British Medical Journal in 1974, but it was never a real diagnosis.
Who wrote the Cello scrotum case report?
Elaine Murphy actually composed the letter, though it was submitted to the BMJ under her husband John's name. She later acknowledged that the whole piece was a deliberate prank.
Why did the Murphys create the Cello scrotum hoax?
They had seen an earlier BMJ report about a condition called 'guitar nipple' and suspected it was itself a joke. Wanting to play along, they decided to craft a similarly absurd entry of their own.
How did people realize Cello scrotum was impossible?
Elaine Murphy herself pointed out that simply observing the way a cellist sits makes it clear the described injury could not physically occur. The anatomical implausibility was one of the telltale signs the report was a fabrication.
When was the Cello scrotum hoax officially admitted?
The Murphys publicly acknowledged in 2009 that their 1974 BMJ submission was a deliberate hoax rather than a genuine clinical observation. This admission came roughly 35 years after the original publication.
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