Which is guilty in self-induced penile fractures: marital status, culture or geographic region? A case series and literature review

Int J Impot Res. 2013 Nov-Dec;25(6):221-3. doi: 10.1038/ijir.2013.16. Epub 2013 Apr 4.

Abstract

Penile fracture is a well-recognized and relatively uncommon clinical entity. It was previously reported that the incidence of penile fracture varies according to various geographic regions. In order to determine whether marital status or culture other than geographic region is involved in the etiology of penile fracture in our country, the charts of 122 men diagnosed with penile fracture were retrospectively reviewed. Detailed history including cause, symptoms, country of origin and a single-question self-report of erectile dysfunction was used for all cases. Diagnosis of our cases was mainly based on history and physical examination and ultrasonography. Immediate or delayed surgical repair of penile fracture included a degloving circumferential, and an additional direct incision, if the site of the tear could not be reached via degloving, was performed. The patients were evaluated after 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months follow-up by penile examination, recording complications, and with a single-question self-report questionnaire after 3 and 6 months. The most common cause of penile fracture was manual bending of the erected penis in 66 out of 122 (54.1%) of our study patients. In our study, we believe that the prime causes of bending the penis are single status and culture, which are influencing factors irrespective of the geographic distribution.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Culture*
  • Erectile Dysfunction / etiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marital Status*
  • Middle Aged
  • Penile Erection
  • Penis / injuries*
  • Penis / surgery
  • Qatar
  • Rupture
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / ethnology
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
  • Single Person
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome