Thirteen men had emergency surgery for fractured penises at Beaumont Hospital between 2011 and 2021, new research has revealed

A study published in the latest issue of the Irish Journal of Medical Science examined 11 of the cases, and found that nine of the patients had injured their penises during intercourse. Ten of the men presented at the hospital with “the Aubergine sign”, which is a clinical indication of a fractured penis, so called because the injured member swells and assumes the shape of an eggplant or aubergine.

All of the patients presented within hours of suffering the injury, and four showed signs of bleeding and difficulty passing urine, the study found. “The most common presenting complaint is a ‘popping sound’ in the erect penis associated with pain and sudden detumescence (flaccidity),” the authors explained, adding that other symptoms include bleeding, bending of the genitalia, and a poor stream during urination.

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“Penile fracture is a rupture of the tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum,” it said. The tunica albuginea is the tough fibrous layer that surrounds the spongy tissues of the male genitalia.

The most common age of the patients was between 30 and 40, and nine reported a positive outcome in terms of erectile function following surgery. Two experienced difficulty and required PDE5 inhibitors – a group of drugs that includes Viagra.

“Fracture of the penis is a relatively rare occurrence and is a urological emergency,” the authors of the study wrote. A review of 3,000 patients internationally showed that 48 per cent of cases occurred during intercourse, and 39 per cent occurred during masturbation or “forced flexion”, they noted.

“The results of our cohort show a good outcome for erectile function following surgical repair for a penile fracture, with 82 per cent having normal spontaneous erections and the remaining requiring PDE5 inhibitors,” it stated. “[This] shows the importance of urgent definitive surgical management of penile fracture cases,” concluded the study, which was titled “Surgical management and post-operative functional outcomes of patients with a penile fracture – a single centre experience over 10 years.”

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