A strange medical condition called "cello scrotum" which has been discussed for 34 years was invented as a joke, a senior figure in the health world has confessed.

Baroness Murphy, an expert on Alzheimer's, has admitted that she and her husband John made up the supposed ailment in 1974 after reading about "guitarist's nipple".

She came clean when the hoax resurfaced in the 2008 Christmas edition of the medical journal.

In a letter to the British Medical Journal (BMJ) they write: "Perhaps after 34 years it's time for us to confess that we invented cello scrotum.

"Reading (Dr) Curtis's 1974 letter to the BMJ on guitar nipple, we thought it highly likely to be a spoof and decided to go one further by submitting a letter pretending to have noted a similar phenomenon in cellists, signed by the non-doctor one of us.

"Anyone who has ever watched a cello being played would realise the physical impossibility of our claim.

"Somewhat to our astonishment, the letter was published. The following Christmas we sent a card to Dr Curtis of guitar nipple fame, only to discover that he knew nothing about it - another joke, we suspect.

We have been dining out on this story ever since."

Dr Curtis's letter mentioned a skin irritation he had seen among classical guitarists. After many hours with the instrument against their chests, the musicians developed "guitarist's nipple", he said.

The Murphys' invented "cello scrotum" was said to be caused by "irritation from the body of the cello".

A spokesman for the BMJ said that, 34 years on, no-one faced the sack for failing to spot the ruse.

He said: "We did, actually, get a letter from another doctor at the time pointing out how unlikely it was.

"We may have to organise a formal retraction or correction now. Once these things get into the scientific literature, they stay there for good. But it all adds to the gaiety of life."

Belfast Telegraph