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.

  • Perspective
  • Published:

Cryoablation of the penile nerves for chronic penile pain

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 35, pages 415–418 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

We present a unique case of a 39-year-old male with a 20-year history of chronic penile pain. Unfortunately, there are currently very limited reports on how best to manage chronic penile pain, as chronic penile pain is a diagnosis of exclusion without any apparent disease. Here, we describe our patient’s clinical presentation of chronic penile pain, history of previously failed medical and procedural treatments, and eventually completion of cryoablation of the penile nerves. In this case study, we demonstrated that targeted cryoablation of the penile nerves is a potential treatment option for chronic penile pain that failed medical management. We also discuss the anatomy and innervation of the penis as it relates to sensation of chronic penile pain and subsequent cryoablation of the penile nerves.

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

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

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

Fig. 1: The cryotherapy probe shown above was localized ~1 cm above the dorsal penile junction in the suprapubic area.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.

References

  1. Doggweiler R, Whitmore KE, Meijlink JM, Drake MJ, Frawley H, Nordling J, et al. A standard for terminology in chronic pelvic pain syndromes: a report from the chronic pelvic pain working group of the international continence society. Neurourol Urodyn. 2017;36:984–1008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Flores JM, Salter CA, Nascimento B, Terrier JE, Taniguchi H, Bernie HL, et al. The prevalence and predictors of penile pain in men with Peyronie’s disease. Sex Med. 2021;9:100398.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Calixte N, Kartal IG, Tojuola B, Gudeloglu A, Etafy M, Brahmbhatt JV, et al. Salvage ultrasound-guided targeted cryoablation of the perispermatic cord for persistent chronic scrotal content pain after microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord. Urology. 2019;130:181–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kozacioglu Z, Kiray A, Ergur I, Zeybek G, Degirmenci T, Gunlusoy B. Anatomy of the dorsal nerve of the penis, clinical implications. Urology. 2014;83:121–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Yang CC, Bradley WE. Neuroanatomy of the penile portion of the human dorsal nerve of the penis. Br J Urol. 1998;82:109–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Khambati A, Lau S, Gordon A, Jarvi KA. OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) nerve blocks provide durable pain relief for men with chronic scrotal pain: a pilot open-label trial. J Sex Med. 2014;11:3072–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Brittany Wordekemper, Brittany Clifton & Christopher M. Deibert

  2. Division of Urologic Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Christopher M. Deibert

Authors
  1. Brittany Wordekemper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brittany Clifton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christopher M. Deibert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

BW carried out acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafted the paper. BC assisted with analysis and interpretation of data and helped draft the paper. CD performed the cryoablation procedure and assisted with edits to the paper. All authors have read and approved the final paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brittany Wordekemper.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wordekemper, B., Clifton, B. & Deibert, C.M. Cryoablation of the penile nerves for chronic penile pain. Int J Impot Res 35, 415–418 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-022-00587-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-022-00587-z

Search

Advanced search

Quick links