Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review
  • Published:

Fractured penis: a review

Abstract

Fracture of the penis is a well-recognized clinical entity. The ideal management has evolved and repair remains largely surgical. We present the etiology and pathophysiology of this condition and outline the therapeutic options.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fetter TR, Crartman E . Traumatic rupture of the penis. Case report. Am J Surg 1936; 14: 371–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Orvis BR, Mc Aninch JW . Penile rupture. Urol Clin North Am 1989; 16: 369–375.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Redman JF, Miedema EB . Traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum: a case report and survey of the incidence in Arkansas. J Urol 1981; 126: 830.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhuiyan ZH, Khan SA, Tawhid MH, Islam MF . Personal series with clinical review of fracture penis. Mymensingh Med J 2007; 16: 187–190.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lehman E, Kremer S . Fracture of the penis. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1990; 171: 148–150.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Das S, Amar AD . Fracture of the penis. J Fam Prac 1986; 23: 71–72.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Godec CJ, Reiser R, Logush AZ . The erect penis—injury prone organ. J Trauma 1988; 28: 124.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Zenteno S . Fracture of the penis. Case report. Plas Reconstr Surg 1973; 2: 669–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. El Abd S . Fracture of the penis and the result of surgical management. Injury 1988; 19: 381–383.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Asgari MA, Hossein SY, Safarinejad MR, Samadzadeli B, Bardideh AK . Penile fractures: evaluation, therapeutic approaching and long–term results. J Urol 1996; 155: 148–149.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Mansi MK, Emran M, El Mahrouky A, El-Mateet MS . Experience with penile fractures in Egypt. Long–term results of immediate surgical repair. J Trauma 1993; 35: 67–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Maharaj D, Naraynsingh V . Fracture of the penis with urethral rupture. Injury 1998; 29: 48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Walton JK . Fracture of the penis with laceration of the urethra. Br J Uro 1979; 51: 308–309.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kalash SS, Young JD . Fracture of penis. Controversy of surgical versus conservative treatment. Urology 1984; 21: 21–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Thompson RF . Rupture (fracture) of the penis. J Urol 1954; 71: 226–229.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Fujisue H, Yabumoto H, Shimada K . A case of fracture of the penis. Acta Urol Jpn 1984; 30: 797–801.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cross M, Arnold T, Peters P . Fracture of the penis with associated laceration of the urethra. J Urol 1977; 117: 725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Morris SB, Miller MAW, Anson K . Management of penile fracture. J R Soc Med 1998; 91: 427–428.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Anselmo G, Fandella A, Faggrano L, Malo F, Maccatrozgo L . Fracture of the penis: therapeutic approach and long-term results. Br J Urol 1991; 67: 509–511.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Oka M, Takamo S, Nakashima K, Sakoda R . Fracture of the penis and surgical management. Eur Urol 1979; 5: 177–178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. El-Sherif AE, Daulets M, Allowneh N, Vijayan P . Management of fracture of the penis in Qatar. Br J Urol 1991; 68: 622–625.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pryor JP, Hill JT . Abnormalities of the suspensory ligament of the penis as a cause of erectile dysfunction. B J Urol 1979; 51: 402–403.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Tan LB, Chiang C, Huang C, Chou Y, Wang C . Traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum. Br J Urol 1991; 68: 626–628.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Tiong JT, Taylor A, England E, Hirsch R . Fracture of the penis—review with case report. Austr New Zeal J Surg 1988; 58: 428–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Naraynsingh V, Raju GC . Fracture of the penis. Br J Surg 1985; 72: 305–306.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nymark J, Kristensen JK . Fracture of the penis with urethral rupture. J Urol 1983; 129: 147–148.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Derouiche A, Belhaj K, Hentati H, Hafsia G, Slama MR, Chebil M . Management of penile fractures complicated by urethral rupture. Int J Impot Res 2008 20: 111–114.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Grosman H, Gray RR, St Louis EL, Casey R, Keresteci AG, Elliott DS . The role of corpus cavernosography in acute ‘fracture’ of the penis. Radiology 1982; 144: 787–788.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Dever DP, Saraf PG, Catanese RP . Penile fracture: operative management and cavernosography. Urology 1983; 22: 394–396.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Pluskow RJ, Ohme RK . Corpus cavernosography in acute fractures of the penis. J Radiol 1979; 133: 331–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Gontero P, Sidhu PS, Muir GH . Penile fracture repair: assessment of early results and complications using color Doppler ultrasound. Int J Impot Res 2000; 12: 125–128.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Klein FA, Vernon Smith MJ, Miller N . Penile fracture: diagnosis and management. J Trauma 1985; 25: 109.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Nicely ER, Costabile RA, Moul JW . Rupture of the deep dorsal vein of the penis during sexual intercourse. J Urol 1992; 147: 150–152.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Dierks PR, Hawkins H . Sonography and penile trauma. J Ultrasound Med 1983; 2: 417–419.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Forman HP, Rosenberg HK, Snyder III HM . Fractured penis: sonographic aid to diagnosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1989; 153: 1009–1010.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Koga S, Santo Y, Arakaki Y, Nakamura N, Matsuoka M, Sarta H, Yosjhikawa M, Ohyama C . Sonography in fracture of the penis. Br J Urol 1993; 72: 228–229.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Agrawal SK, Morgan BE, Shafique M . Experience with penile fractures in Saudi Arabia. Br J Urol 1991; 67: 644.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Creecy AA, Bearglie FS . Fracture of the penis: traumatic rupture of the corpora cavernosa. J Urol 1957; 78: 620–627.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Jallu A, Wani NA, Rashid PA . Fracture of the penis. J Urol 1980; 123: 285–286.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Meares EM . Trauamtic rupture of the corpus cavernosum. J Urol 1971; 105: 405–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Farah RN, Stiles Jr R, Cerny JC . Surgical treatment of deformity and coital difficulty in healed traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosa. J Urol 1978; 120: 118–120.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Pryor JP, Hill JT, Packham DM . Penile injury with particular reference to injury to the erectile tissue. Br J Urol 1981; 53: 42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Nicolarsen GS, Melamud A, Williams RD . Rupture of the corpus cavernosum. Surgical Management J Urol 1983; 130: 917.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Cendron M, Whitmore KE, Carpiniello V . Traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum: evaluation and management. J Urol 1990; 144: 987.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ishikawa T, Fujisawa M, Tamada H, Inoue T, Shimatani N . Fracture of the penis: nine cases with evaluation of reported cases in Japan. Int J Urol 2003; 10: 257–260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. De Giorgi G, Luciani LG, Valotto C, Moro U, Praturlon S, Zattoni F . Early surgical repair of penile fractures: our experience. Arch Ital Urol Androl 2005; 77: 103–105.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Sant GR . Rupture of the corpus cavernosum of the penis. Arch Surg 1981; 116: 1176–1178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Rudele HC, Hadley HR, Lui PD . Fracture of the penis: diagnosis and management. Urology 1992; 40: 53–55.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Seftel AD, Haas CA, Vafa A, Brown SL . Inguinal scrotal incision for penile fracture. J Urol 1998; 159: 182–184.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Naraynsingh V, Maharaj D, Kuruvilla T, Ramsewak R . Simple repair of fractured penis. J R Coll Surg Edinb 1998; 43: 97–98.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Fergany AF, Angermeier KW, Montague DK . Review of Cleveland Clinic experience with penile fracture. Urology 1999; 54: 352–355.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Hargreaves DG, Plial RO . Fracture of the penis causing a corporo-urethral fistula. BJU Int 1994; 73: 97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Dr Marcos Ferreira has a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship grant partially supported by Porto Alegre City Council, Brazil. Dr Michael O'Leary receives funding from the NIH.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S L Sawh.

Additional information

Disclaimer

The funding bodies had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sawh, S., O'Leary, M., Ferreira, M. et al. Fractured penis: a review. Int J Impot Res 20, 366–369 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2008.12

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2008.12

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links