Cavernosal abscess and primary scrotal calcinosis in the diabetic patient: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

A cavernosal abscess is a rare urological condition to occur. It is classified as primary and secondary. The primary is mostly idiopathic, whereas the secondary is associated with some precipitating factors. Most of the cases were diagnosed clinically. In some cases, imaging such as an ultrasound of the local region or magnetic resonance imaging may be required. Cavernosal abscesses can be treated using a minimally invasive procedure such as image-guided drainage or incision and drainage along with systemic antibiotics. A 52-year-old uncircumscribed uncontrolled diabetic patient presented with a complaint of swelling in the penile region for the 1-week duration. He also complains of pain in the penile region for a 5-day duration. He is a known case of type 2 diabetes on oral hypoglycemic drugs for the past 2 years. Clinical examination confirmed the diagnosis of cavernosal abscess. The patient underwent circumcision with incision and drainage of abscess under higher antibiotic coverage (vancomycin and metronidazole). The patient underwent local excision of primary scrotal calcinosis after 1 month. The patient is followed up for more than 2 years without any evidence of recurrence or impotence. The cavernosal abscess is one of the rare urological conditions, which needs immediate surgical intervention to reduce future complications such as erectile dysfunction and recurrent abscess. Uncontrolled diabetes has a high chance of developing cavernosal abscesses even without precipitating factors.