Penile fracture

A penile fracture is an injury caused by the rupture of the tunica albuginea, which envelopes the corpus cavernosum penis. It is an uncommon injury, most often caused by a blunt trauma to an erect penis. ^[1]

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Presentation

A popping or cracking sound, significant pain, immediate flaccidity, and skin hematoma of various sizes are commonly associated with the event. These symptoms are similar to a common bruising or contusion of the penis.

Treatment and prognosis

If your penis becomes bruised, it is painful but is not a huge problem if it can become erect within a few days. However, a penile fracture is generally considered a medical emergency, and emergency medical surgical repair is the usual treatment. Delay in seeking treatment increases the complication rate. Non-surgical approaches result in 10%-50% complication rates including erectile dysfunction, permanent penile curvature, damage to the urethra, and pain during sexual intercourse.

Causes

In the western hemisphere the most common cause, accounting for about 30%-50% of cases, is intercourse. Of those, woman-on-top positions resulting in impact against the female pelvis or perineum and bending laterally are most common. In Middle Eastern countries the common cause is physical manipulation of the penis to remove an erection^{[2] [3]}.

See also

For legal context, see Doe v. Moe, 827 N.E.2d 240 (Mass. App. Ct. 2005), where the court declined to find duty as between two consensual adults.

References

1. ^ Jagodic K, Erklavec M, Bizjak I, Poteko S, Korosec Jagodic H. A case of penile fracture with complete urethral disruption during sexual intercourse: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2007 May 2;1:14. http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/1/1/14
2. ^ Eke N. Fracture of the penis. Br J Surg 2002;89:555–65. PMID 11972544
3. ^ Zargooshi J. Penile fracture in Kermanshah, Iran: the long-term results of surgical treatment. BJU Int 2002 Jun;89(9):890-4. PMID 12010234