Penile erosion in spinal cord injury - An important lesson

Abstract

Study design: A case report of the complications of a spinal cord injury (SCI) patient alternating between indwelling urethral catheter and a condom drainage system for bladder management. Objective: To highlight the importance of penile care for bladder drainage following SCI. Setting: Spinal Injuries Unit, Stanmore, UK. Subject: A 39-year-old male who sustained a lumbar level SCI in December 2000. He presented acutely with leakage of urine around his condom drainage device. Main outcome measure: The examination revealed an eroded area on the ventral aspect of the proximal penile shaft, which corresponded to the site of condom attachment. An indwelling urethral catheter was inserted as a temporary measure before reconstruction. Result: At operation, in addition to the preoperatively observed area of erosion, the penile urethra was found to be cleaved for almost its entire length. Conclusions: The patient had suffered two complications from a combination of two types of bladder management, and surgery was successful in treating both the urethral cleavage and the skin erosion.