Penile Abscess: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

A case of penile abscess after amphetamine injection into the penis is reported. A 45-year-old male patient was successfully treated with surgical drainage and antibiotics. There were no 3-month consequences of treatment at follow-up, and the patient maintained potency, without any penile deformity. The aetiology, diagnosis, and management of penile abscesses are discussed.

Editorial Comment from Dr Jakobsen to Usefulness of sonourethrography for penile abscess as a result of xanthogranulomatous granuloma in the corpus cavernosum of an adult: A case report

“…Surgical debridement of the penile abscess might be necessary to minimize the risk of recurrence, and surgery is indisputable in the presence of accompanying necrotizing fasciitis (Fournier). 1 In the current case, a penile abscess seemingly occurred in the absence of a detectable microbiological cause. 2 Because of severe penile pain, the patient agreed to undergo penile amputation.…”

“…Drainage of the penile abscess is a part of the treatment, and often yields material for conventional diagnostic methods to detect a microbiological causative agent and aid to identify the relevant antibiotic regimen. Surgical debridement of the penile abscess might be necessary to minimize the risk of recurrence, and surgery is indisputable in the presence of accompanying necrotizing fasciitis (Fournier) …”

Complex anal fistula involving male genital tract: a new diagnostic entity

“…Surgical drainage mostly warranted to treat underlying causative fistula and reduce risk of recurrence. The most frequent complication of surgically treated penile abscess is penile curvature without necessarily affecting erectile function 10…”

Surgical Intervention for Penile Methamphetamine Injections

“…The diagnosis of a penile abscess is usually clinical along with supportive imaging studies, such as ultrasound or CT scans [ 17 ]. More recent data suggest the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to determine the extent of infection or inflammation, which can aid in surgical drainage of scrotal or penile pathology [ 18 ].…”

“…Although penile abscesses are relatively uncommon, a few case reports have been reported in the literature. Common etiologies of penile abscesses include trauma, injections, iatrogenic, or idiopathic [ 17 , 20 – 22 ]. In the cases presented, we suspect the abscesses formed as a result of direct contamination from repeated intracorporal injections.…”