A penile fracture is rare, mostly affecting middle-aged males during sexual intercourse or aggressive masturbation.
Penile fractures can also be the result of a non-sexual injury to an erect penis.
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same.
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When a penis is soft (flaccid), the tunica albuginea is resistant to tears or injury.
The nerve provides sensations to the penis essential tosexual arousaland erection.
The corpus spongiosum can also sustain damage.
What Is an “Eggplant Deformity?”
An “eggplant deformity” is a term used to describe the characteristics of a penile fracture.
The condtion is so-named because of the purplish discoloration and extreme swelling of the penis after a fracture.
What Causes a Penile Fracture?
Penile fracture is a rare condition affecting one of every 175,000 people with penises in the United States annually.
Most occur in sexually active males between the ages of 30 and 50.
Most penile fractures are sparked by blunt force trauma during sexual intercourse.
Certain sexual positions can also cause the penis to bend abnormally while entering the partner from an acute angle.
However, sexual intercourse is not the sole cause of a penile fracture.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
A penile fracture is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.
However, some cases are less severe than others and may not present with “classic” symptoms.
How Is a Penile Fracture Diagnosed?
A penile fracture can often be recognized during a physical exam based on the eggplant deformity.
Even if blood cannot be visibly seen, a urinalysis may be able to detect microscopic hematuria.
This, in turn, could change or expand the scope of treatment.
How is a Penile Fracture Treated?
Penile fractures are medical emergencies typically requiring surgery.
In addition to the surgical repair of the tunica albuginea, urethral reconstruction may performed.
The surgery may be performed undergeneral anesthesiaorregional anesthesia(a “spinal block”).
Barring complications, hospitalization times run one to three days.
In such cases, you may need aurinary catheterfor a short period until the bleeding subsides and urination normalizes.
Prognosis
Immediate surgical repair is the standard treatment for penile fracture.
Penile fractures are diagnosed with a physical exam and imaging studies.
Amer T, Wilson R, Chlosta P, et al.Penile fracture: a meta-analysis.Urol Int.
2016 Nov;97:e21-e22.
