[The role of magnetic resonance in the evaluation of pathological processes involving the penis]

Abstract

The above paper was aimed at defining the usefulness of MRI in the study of pathologies involving the penis. Disorders considered include Peyronie's disease, fibrosis of the penis, priapism, trauma, congenital anomalies, and tumors. In Peyronie's disease and in fibrosis of the penis, MRI permits to demonstrate the abnormal thickening of tunica albuginea and erectile tissue; after administration of gadolinium, it becomes possible in some cases to demonstrate plaques of the albuginea that are not palpable. In priapism, MRI is useful both for identifying the cause and for assessing the time elapsed since blood extravasation. In traumatic and congenital pathologies, MRI is essential for the acquisition of all information on anatomy that may be useful for selecting the most suitable surgical therapy. In neoplastic pathology, MRI has proved useful for accurately assessing the extension of lesions involving the basis of the penis.