Spontaneous cavernosal abscess: a case report and review of literature

Abstract

A cavernosal abscess is a rare condition. It can be idiopathic or with an underlying cause such as intracavernosal injection therapy, foreign bodies, perineal abscesses extension, priapism or trauma. The most common presenting symptoms were penile pain and swelling. Standard treatment consists of drainage via an incision, followed by broad-spectrum antibiotics where some authors describe less invasive techniques such as image-guided aspiration. We present a case of spontaneous left cavernosal abscess diagnosed on MRI in a 60-year-old patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus that was treated by percutaneous ultrasound-guided aspiration drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy without any long-term sequela.

Figure 1:

Axial T₂ W images of penis showed a well-defined septated area of 2 cm in the posterior aspect of left corpus cavernosum.

Figure 2:

Ultrasound-guided puncture of the mixed echogenic cystic mass of left corpus cavernosum. White arrow: needle entry site.