Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jan-Mar;12(1):15-18.
doi: 10.4103/UA.UA_16_19. Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Penile ring entrapment - A true urologic emergency: Grading, approach, and management

Omar Dawood  1 , Seena Tabibi  1 , Julia Fiuk  1 , Neil Patel  1 , Ahmed El-Zawahry  1
Affiliations

Penile ring entrapment - A true urologic emergency: Grading, approach, and management

Omar Dawood et al. Urol Ann. 2020 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Penile rings are used to sustain erection in order to enhance sexual pleasure. They work by reducing the outflow of blood from the cavernosal tissue. However, if left for extended periods of time severe edema, urethral fistula, gangrene, and even complete loss of the distal penis can ensue, this is known as penile ring entrapment (PRE). Management poses particular challenges due to its rarity. Herein, we report our experience with three patients from our institution that presented with PRE and include a review of the approaches others have taken. We also propose a simpler and more effective grading scale to allow for easier communication between providers, as the current grading scales do not do so.

Keywords: Ischemia; penis; scrotum; trauma; urethra.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient 2 before treatment
Figure 2
Figure 2
Patient 2 after treatment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alkhureeb M. Case report of early release of penile strangulation by metallic rings. Int J Sci Res. 2016;5:1442–4.
    1. Nuhu A, Edino ST, Agbese GO, Kallamu M. Penile gangrene due to strangulation by a metallic nut: A case report. West Afr J Med. 2009;28:340–2. - PubMed
    1. Sawant AS, Patil SR, Kumar V, Kasat GV. Penile constriction injury: An experience of four cases. Urol Ann. 2016;8:512–5. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sharma PK, Vijay MK, Das RK, Tiwari P, Goel A, Kundu AK. Metallic ring used for autoerotic purpose leading to serious strangulating penile injury and its management. UroToday Int J. 2011;4:1.
    1. How Do Erectile Dysfunction Rings Work? [03 43 13 3B 9F 56 66 A7 A4 29 2C DE 2B 13 7E 2A 25 CD] 2013. [Last accessed on 2019 Feb 04]. Available from: https://prostate.net/articles/how-do-erectile-dysfunction-rings-work .