Penile Strangulation - Urological Emergency Service. Case Study

Penile strangulation is a extremely rare but very serious condition. It is mainly caused by placing constricting devices, such as wedding ring on the penis or clamping by a twine, wire or thread. This is done to improve the quality of erection and enhance sexual experience. In this paper an unusual case of penile strangulation is presented. Fifty-three-year-old male - jeweller - was admitted to Urology Department of Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw due to acute urinary retention and strong penile pain. After physical examination penile strangulation caused by platinum wedding ring was diagnosed. The patient wanted to improve quality of erection that way which resulted in a prompt urological intervention and he had to stay at the Clinic of Urology. To prevent major complications such as penis gangrene, urethraldermal fistula or necrosis of the penis, an emergency surgical treatment is advisable. Recognition of the injure causes no diagnostic difficulties though it occurs rarely. One month after the accident the patient was admitted to an ambulatory control which indicated no deviation of the penis appearance. An uroflowmetry examination indicated a proper urine stream and the patient showed no erection disorder. The case presented in this article says, what results can have determination in search of alternative ways to improve erection of the penis and what complications can be caused.