Ischemia of the glans penis following circumcision: case report and revision of the literature

Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2015 Mar 31;87(1):93-4. doi: 10.4081/aiua.2015.1.93.

Abstract

Ischemic complications of the glans penis are rare and commonly result from trauma, inadvertent administration of vasoconstrictive solutions, diabetes mellitus, circumcision and vasculitis; we refer about a young man with severe ischemia of the glans penis following circumcision. The patient had undergone circumcision 5 days before in a surgery department under local anesthesia (1% mepivacaine hydrochloride). The patient noticed a brownish color and edema of the glans penis at 24 h after he opened the wound dressing, but arrived to our hospital only 5 days after circumcision because these findings had progressed. Physical examination revealed the black color or necrotic appearance of the glans penis, and edema on the dorsal penile skin. The patient underwent antibiotic, antiplatatelet, corticosteroid and iperbaric therapy achieving a complete restitutio ad integrum.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Circumcision, Male / adverse effects*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation / methods
  • Ischemia / drug therapy
  • Ischemia / etiology*
  • Ischemia / pathology
  • Ischemia / therapy*
  • Male
  • Penis / blood supply*
  • Penis / pathology
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Glucocorticoids
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors