A 72-year-old man presented with pain and swelling in the penis, indicating penile infection or abscess. An ultrasound was performed but unable to lead to a diagnosis of abscess. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was strongly suggestive of penile abscess. The puncture of the abscess was unsuccessful. However, pus was drained spontaneously via the urethra, and the symptoms disappeared eventually. Although ultrasound can be useful, sometimes it might be difficult to distinguish between inflammatory tissue and abscess containing necrotic tissue. MRI, especially DWI, can be a powerful tool for diagnosing abscess in the penis.
Urology. 2019 Jun 10 [Epub ahead of print]
Kentaro Yamada, Masahiro Horikawa, Hiroshi Shinmoto
Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 3590042 Japan; Dotter Department of Interventional Radiology, 630 SW Gains St, Portland OR 97239. Electronic address: ., Dotter Department of Interventional Radiology, 630 SW Gains St, Portland OR 97239. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 3590042 Japan. Electronic address: .