Abstract
Purpose
In this prospective study, we studied the role of ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis and management of penile trauma.
Methods
Between 2007 and 2014, 14 patients (mean age 39 years) with suspected penile fracture underwent US examinations. Almost all patients had a history of injury during sexual intercourse or manipulation of the penis. US examinations were performed in transversal and longitudinal planes starting at the level of the glans and moving down to the base of the penis. Color-Doppler was used to identify the vascular pattern or to see any abnormal vascularity.
Results
The most common blunt injury to the penis that occurred in nine patients was penile fracture due to rupture of the corpus cavernosum. A tear occurred in only one of the corpora cavernosa. US showed an irregular hypoechoic or hyperechoic defect at the cavernosal rupture site. Four patients presented an injury to the subtunical venous plexus in the absence of complete tunical disruption. One patient had urethral rupture with inability to urinate and apparent urethrorrhagia. Ten patients underwent surgical operation, while four patients were observed and discharged after 2 days. Mean follow-up was 32 months (range 3–58). After 8 to 12 weeks, all of them were able to be sexually active as before. Angulations of penis persisted in one patient.
Conclusion
US may be the preferred imaging technique for evaluation of penile fracture before surgery. It is easy to perform, non-invasive, widely available, and inexpensive, although it requires an experienced team.
Riassunto
Scopo
In questo studio prospettico abbiamo analizzato il ruolo dell’imaging ecografico nella diagnosi e gestione del trauma penieno.
Metodi
Tra il 2007 ed il 2014, 14 pazienti (età media: 39 anni) con sospetto di frattura del pene furono sottoposti ad uno studio ecografico. Quasi tutti i pazienti presentavano un riscontro anamnestico di traumi avvenuti durante un rapporto sessuale o manipolazione del pene. Gli esami ecografici furono eseguiti facendo scansioni su piani trasversali e longitudinali iniziando a livello del glande e procedendo sino alla base dell’asta. L’utilizzo del Color-Doppler è stato adoperato per visualizzare l’assetto vascolare o per identificare qualsiasi forma di anomalia vascolare.
Risultati
La più comune forma di rottura traumatica del pene accorsa in 9 persone fu quella del corpo cavernoso. la rottura si verificò sempre a livello di un singolo corpo cavernoso. Lo studio ultrasonografico identificò il punto di rottura a livello del corpo cavernoso attraverso la visualizzazione di un irregolare stria ipoecogena o iperecogena. 4 pazienti presentarono una lesione del plesso venoso al di sotto della tunica albuginea senza rottura della stessa. Un solo paziente riportò un trauma dell’uretra presentando difficoltà alla minzione ed uretrorragia. 10 pazienti furono sottoposti ad intervento chirurgico, mentre gli altri 4 furono ricoverati in regime di osservazione e dimessi due giorni dopo. Il follow-up medio è stato di 32 mesi (range 3-58). Dopo circa 8-12 settimane tutti i pazienti ripresero la propria attività sessuale. In un solo paziente permase una deviazione permanente dell’asta.
Conclusioni
Secondo la nostra opinione l’esame ecografico può essere considerato la tecnica d’imaging da preferire nella valutazione di una rottura peniena prima d’intraprendere un approccio chirurgico. E’ semplce da eseguire, poco invasiva, ampiamente disponibile e poco costosa; anche se richiede operatori esperti.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Martí de Gracia M, Muñiz Iriondo I, García Fresnadillo JP, Rodríguez Requena H, Matos A, Pinilla I (2013) Corpus cavernosum fracture: the ultrasound in the emergency diagnosis. Radiologia 55(2):154–159
Nomura JT, Sierzenski PR (2010) Ultrasound diagnosis of penile fracture. J Emerg Med 38(3):362–365
Bhatt S, Kocakoc E, Rubens DJ, Seftel AD, Dogra VS (2005) Sonographic evaluation of penile trauma. J Ultrasound Med 24(7):993–1000
Gedik A, Kayan D, Yamiş S, Yılmaz Y, Bircan K (2011) The diagnosis and treatment of penile fracture: our 19-year experience. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg 17(1):57–60
Chung CH, Szeto YK, Lai KK (2006) ‘Fracture’ of the penis: a case series. Hong Kong Med J 12(3):197–200
Shukla AK, Bhagavan BC, Sanjay SC, Krishnappa N, Sahadev R, Satish V (2015) Role of ultraosonography in grading of penile fractures. J Clin Diagn Res 9(4):TC01–TC03
Bello JO (2012) Synergism of clinical evaluation and penile sonographic imaging in diagnosis of penile fracture: a case report. J Med Case Rep 6:321
Forman HP, Rosenberg HK, Snyder HM (1989) Fractured penis: sonographic aid to diagnosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 153(5):1009–1010
Bertolotto M, Mucelli RP (2004) Nonpenetrating penile traumas: sonographic and Doppler features. AJR Am J Roentgenol 183(4):1085–1089
Beysel M, Tekin A, Gürdal M, Yücebaş E, Sengör F (2002) Evaluation and treatment of penile fractures: accuracy of clinical diagnosis and the value of corpus cavernosography. Urology 60(3):492–496
Mydlo JH, Harris CF, Brown JG (2002) Blunt, penetrating and ischemic injuries to the penis. J Urol 168(4):1433–1435
El-Taher AM, Aboul-Ella HA, Sayed MA, Gaafar AA (2004) Management of penile fracture. J Trauma 56(5):1138–1140
Koifman L, Barros R, Júnior RA, Cavalcanti AG, Favorito LA (2010) Penile fracture: diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of 150 patients. Urology 76(6):1488–1492
Abolyosr A, Moneim AE, Abdelatif AM, Abdalla MA, Imam HM (2005) The management of penile fracture based on clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings. BJU Int 96(3):373–377
Buyukkaya R, Buyukkaya A, Ozturk B, Kayıkçı A, Yazgan Ö (2014) Role of ultrasonography with color-Doppler in the emergency diagnosis of acute penile fracture: a case report. Med Ultrason 16(1):67–69
Guler I, Ödev K, Kalkan H, Simsek C, Keskin S, Kilinç M (2015) The value of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of penile fracture. Int Braz J Urol 41(2):325–328
Choi MH, Kim B, Ryu JA, Lee SW, Lee KS (2000) MR imaging of acute penile fracture. Radiographics 20(5):1397–1405
Murray KS, Gilbert M, Ricci LR, Khare NR, Broghammer J (2012) Penile fracture and magnetic resonance imaging. Int Braz J Urol 38(2):287–288
Kervancioglu S, Ozkur A, Bayram MM (2005) Color Doppler sonographic findings in penile fracture. J Clin Ultrasound 33(1):38–42
Wilkins CJ, Sriprasad S, Sidhu PS (2003) Colour Doppler ultrasound of the penis. Clin Radiol 58(7):514–523
Gontero P, Sidhu PS, Muir GH (2000) Penile fracture repair: assessment of early results and complications using color Doppler ultrasound. Int J Impot Res 12(2):125–128
Matteson JR, Nagler HM (2000) Intracavernous penile hematoma. J Urol 164(5):1647–1648
Rosenstein D, McAninch JW (2004) Urologic emergencies. Med Clin N Am 88(2):495–518
Hinev AI (2002) Re: penile injury. J Urol 167(4):1802–1803
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Lucio Dell’Atti declares that he has no conflict of interest.
Informed consent
All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). All patients provided written informed consent to enrolment in the study and to the inclusion in this article of information that could potentially lead to their identification.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dell’Atti, L. The role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis and management of penile trauma. J Ultrasound 19, 161–166 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-016-0195-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-016-0195-4