Emergencies in Urology - part 5 potx

Mechanism of injury Associated injuriesBlunt trauma Extrape-ritoneal Blunt pelvic trauma with lacerationby bone fragments Pelvic fractures Shearing at ligamentous attachments Other long

Mechanism of injury Associated injuries

Blunt trauma

Extrape-ritoneal Blunt pelvic trauma with lacerationby bone fragment(s) Pelvic fractures

Shearing at ligamentous attachment(s) Other long bone fractures Intrape-

Penetrating

trauma

Direct injury to the bladder wall Associated injury to

other organs is common

Table 15.6.4 AAST organ

in-jury severity scale for the bladder and Associated Ab- breviated Injury Scale of the American Association for Automotive Medicine, 1990 (AIS-90)

II Laceration Extraperitoneal bladder wall laceration < 2 cm 4

III Laceration Extraperitoneal (> 2 cm) or intraperitoneal (< 2 cm)

bladder wall laceration

4

IV Laceration Intraperitoneal bladder wall laceration > 2 cm 4

V Laceration Intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal bladder wall

lacera-tion extending into the bladder neck or ureteral orifice (trigone)

4 a Advance one grade for

multiple injuries to same organ up to grade III

Fig 15.6.1 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 1:

contusion, intramural hematoma or partial thickness

lacera-tion of the bladder wall (Fig 15.6.1 – 6 © Hohenfellner 2007)

Fig 15.6.2 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 2:

extraperitoneal laceration of the bladder wall < 2 cm

Fig 15.6.3 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 3:

extraperitoneal laceration of the bladder wall > 2 cm

Fig 15.6.5 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 4:

intraperitoneal laceration of the bladder wall > 2 cm

Fig 15.6.4 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 3:

intraperitoneal laceration of the bladder wall < 2 cm

Fig 15.6.6 AAST classification of bladder injury Grade 5:

intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal laceration of the bladder wall extending in to the bladder neck or trigone

15.6 Bladder Trauma 251

classification, which was adopted, modified, and

rec-ommended by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association

(OTA) (Tile 1988, 1996; OTA 1996) The OTA

classifica-tion groups pelvic injuries into three main categories:

A-type injuries have a stable pelvic ring, B-type have a

partial posterior disruption, and C-type have a

com-plete posterior disruption Within this classification,

the severity of injury increases from type A to type C

(Tile 1999), with a higher injury severity score (ISS),

in-cidence of associated injuries, and mortality rate with

the latter (Poole et al 1991; Adams et al 2002)

15.6.4

Risk Factors

15.6.4.1

Blunt Trauma

Driving under the influence of alcohol predisposes to

motor vehicle accidents and to a distended bladder as

well Thus it is a risk factor for bladder injury (Dreitlein

et al 2001)

Lateral-impact MVC are known to be associated

with an increased incidence of pelvic fractures (Siegel

et al 1993; Loo et al 1996; Inaba et al 2004; Rowe et al

2004), and therefore may result in bladder injury

Crash impact data in trauma registry for MVC

occu-pants with AIS & 4 pelvic injuries identified the lateral

impact as the most common crash variable,

account-ing for more than 80 % of injuries to drivers and front

seat passengers (Inaba et al 2004) An evaluation of

risk factors for severe pelvic injuries (AIS & 4)

suggest-ed motorcycle injuries to result in the highest

inci-dence of pelvic fractures, with bladder and urethra as

the most commonly injured organs In this study,

step-wise logistic regression analysis identified male

gen-der and pelvic fracture AIS & 4 as independent risk

fac-tors (Demetriades et al 2002) These patients also had

significantly more genitourinary injuries, the bladder

being the most common (25 %) intraabdominal organ

injured

15.6.4.2

Iatrogenic Trauma

Risk factors for iatrogenic bladder injury include

ad-hesions and pelvic scarring from previous surgery,

in-flammation, endometriosis, exposure to radiation,

presence of malignant disease, pregnancy, pelvic

or-gan prolapse, multiple cesarean sections, congenital

abnormalities, hemorrhage, or failure to empty the

bladder before the operation (Daly and Higgins 1988;

Harris et al 1997; Davis 1999; Armenakas et al 2004;

Gomez et al 2004; Yossepowitch et al 2004) In a

mul-ticenter study, concurrent surgery for stress

inconti-nence along with gynecological procedures was found

to be the only independent variable for bladder injury

in a stepwise logistic regression model, with a relativerisk of 4.42 (Vakili et al 2005) The type of incisionduring cesarean section is also a risk factor In a retro-spective analysis of data from 3,164 women undergo-ing cesarean section revealed that the type of incision,the presence of adhesions, and anterior placenta pre-via were independently associated with increased risk

of bladder injury (Makoha et al 2005) The bladderwas injured almost seven times as frequently with themidline subumbilical (MLSU) as with the Pfannenstiel

incision (p< 0.0001; OR, 6.7) This study has also

con-firmed the observation that for both types of incisionthe risk of bladder injury increases with the number ofcesarean sections (Makoha et al 2004) and for a givennumber the risk is higher with MLSU than Pfannen-stiel incision

15.6.5 Diagnosis

The two most common signs and symptoms of majorbladder injuries are gross hematuria (82 %) and ab-dominal tenderness (62 %) (Carroll and McAninch1984) Other findings may include inability to void,bruises over the suprapubic region, and abdominal dis-tention (Sagalowsky 1998) Extravasation of urine mayresult in swelling in the perineum, scrotum, and thighs,

as well as along the anterior abdominal wall within thepotential space between the transversalis fascia and theparietal peritoneum Hematuria at the conclusion of anotherwise uneventful procedure, clear fluid in the oper-ative field, gas distention of the urinary drainage bagduring laparoscopy, and/or visible bladder lacerationshould alarm the surgeon to iatrogenic bladder injury(Armenakas et al 2004; Gomez et al 2004)

15.6.5.1 Macroscopic (Gross) Hematuria

Gross hematuria indicates urologic trauma Review ofthe existing literature reveals that traumatic bladderrupture is strongly correlated with the combination ofpelvic fracture and gross hematuria Morey et al re-ported gross hematuria in all of their patients withbladder rupture, and 85 % had pelvic fractures (Morey

et al 2001) Therefore, the classic combination of pelvicfracture and gross hematuria constitutes an absoluteindication for immediate cystography in blunt traumavictims (Carroll and McAninch 1984; Rehm et al 1991;Morey 2005) While grossly clear urine in a trauma pa-tient without a pelvic fracture virtually eliminates thepossibility of a bladder rupture, up to 2 % – 10 % of pa-tients with bladder rupture may have only microhema-turia or no hematuria at all (Schneider 1993)

Tarman et al (2002) reviewed 8,021 pediatric trauma

patients retrospectively, including 212 consecutive

pa-tients with pelvic fractures Among papa-tients with pelvic

fractures, only one patient (0.5 %) had an

extraperito-neal bladder rupture Lower urogenital injury occurred

in six patients (2.8 %) The absence of gross hematuria

effectively ruled out serious injury in this cohort

Con-sequently, these authors concluded that further

urologi-cal work-up is unnecessary in stable patients with pelvic

fractures and isolated microhematuria Patients with

gross hematuria, multiple associated injuries, or

signifi-cant abnormalities found on their physical examination

are recommended to undergo further urological

evalu-ation with appropriate imaging modalities such as

ret-rograde urethrography and cystography

15.6.5.2

Microscopic Hematuria

In the trauma patient with a pelvic ring fracture,

micro-scopic hematuria should be considered as a possible

in-dicator of bladder laceration, and further investigation

is warranted Existing data do not support lower

uri-nary tract imaging in all patients with either pelvic

fracture or microscopic hematuria alone Also, the

threshold of red blood cells in urine that triggers

fur-ther investigation is a point of controversy A threshold

ranging from 25 to 200 red blood cells per high power

field (rbc/phf) has been suggested to indicate

signifi-cant injury to the bladder (Werkman et al 1991;

Fuhr-man et al 1993; Morgan et al 2000) These observations

seems not to be valid for pediatric trauma patients, as

indicated previously in a clinical series (Tarman et al

2002) In contrast, Abou-Jaoude et al found that a

threshold of 20 rbc/hpf as an indication for radiological

evaluation would have missed 25 % of cases with

blad-der injury In contrast to other reported series, they

suggested that lower urogenital tract evaluation in

pe-diatric trauma patients, especially in the presence of

pelvic fractures, should be based as much on clinical

judgment as on the presence of hematuria

(Abou-Jaou-de et al 1996)

15.6.5.3

Cystography

Retrograde cystography in evaluation of bladder

trau-ma is considered the standard diagnostic procedure

(Stine et al 1988; Rehm et al 1991; Baniel and Schein

1994) Cystography is accepted as the most accurate

ra-diological study for diagnosing bladder rupture (Deck

et al 2000) When adequate bladder filling and

post-void images are obtained, they have an accuracy rate of

85 % – 100 % The diagnosis of bladder rupture is

usual-ly made easiusual-ly on cystography when the injected

con-trast medium is identified outside the bladder

Fig 15.6.7 Extraperitoneal rupture demonstrated on

cystogra-phy Extravasation of contrast material is limited to the vesical space

peri-Fig 15.6.8 Extraperitoneal rupture on cystography

(Figs 15.6.7 – 9) Adequate distention of the urinarybladder is crucial to demonstrate perforation, especial-

ly in instances of penetrating trauma, since most stances of a false-negative retrograde cystography werefound in this situation (Cass 1984; Baniel and Schein1994) Cystography requires at least plain films, filledfilms, and postdrainage films Half-filled film andobliques are optional For the highest diagnostic accu-racy, the bladder must be distended by instillation of at

in-15.6 Bladder Trauma 253

Fig 15.6.9 Intraperitoneal bladder rupture on cystography.

Bowel loops are outlined by the extravasated contrast in the

abdominal cavity

least 350 cc of contrast medium with gravity Bladder

injury may be identified only on the postdrainage film

in approximately 10 % of the cases False-negative

find-ings may result from improperly performed studies

with instillation of less than 250 ml of contrast medium

or omission of a postdrainage film (Morey et al 1999)

Only a properly performed cystography should be used

to exclude bladder injury

15.6.5.4

Excretory Urography (Intravenous Pyelography)

Intravenous pyelography (IVP) is inadequate for

evalu-ation of bladder and urethra after trauma because of

di-lution of the contrast material within the bladder, and

resting intravesical pressure is simply too low to

dem-onstrate a small tear (Ben-Menachem et al 1991) IVP

has a low accuracy, on the order of 15 % – 25 % and

vari-ous clinical studies indicated that IVP has an

unaccept-ably high false-negative rate of 64 % – 84 %, which

pre-cludes its use as a diagnostic tool in bladder injuries

(Werkman et al 1991)

15.6.5.5

Ultrasound

Although the use of US in bladder rupture has been

de-scribed (Bigongiari et al 2000), it has not been

routine-ly used for evaluation of bladder injury The presence ofperitoneal fluid in the presence of normal viscera orfailure to visualize the bladder after the transurethralintroduction of saline is considered highly suggestive

of bladder rupture (Bigongiari et al 2000) In practice,

US is not definitive in bladder or urethral trauma and isnot routinely used Focused abdominal sonography fortrauma (FAST) has gained popularity in the evaluation

of blunt abdominal trauma in adults to detect free traperitoneal fluid, with a sensitivity of 63 % – 99 % inpublished series (Fernandez et al 1998; Yoshii et al.1998; Nunes et al 2001; Von Kuenssberg Jehle et al.2003)

in-Several reports have indicated that FAST can also liably detect free intraperitoneal fluid in children, withacceptable sensitivity and specificity rates (Holmes et

re-al 2001; Soudack et re-al 2004) However, a positive FAST

in a hemodynamically stable child is of limited use, cause in one survey only 26 % (5/19) of pediatric emer-gency attending physicians considered ultrasoundequally available with CT, and none considered it morereadily available than CT (Baka et al 2002) The inabili-

be-ty of FAST to distinguish the origin of free fluid in theabdomen such as blood, ascites, or urine remains an-other disadvantage of this modality (Jones et al 2003).Therefore, the exact role of FAST in detection ofbladder injury remains to be determined

15.6.5.6 Computed Tomography

CT is clearly the method of choice for the evaluation ofpatients with blunt or penetrating abdominal and/orpelvic trauma However, routine CT is not reliable inthe diagnosis of bladder rupture even if an insertedurethral catheter is clamped CT demonstrates intra-peritoneal and extraperitoneal fluid but cannot differ-entiate urine from ascites As with IVP, the bladder isusually inadequately distended to cause extravasationthrough a bladder laceration or perforation duringroutine abdominal and pelvic studies Therefore, a neg-ative study cannot be entirely trusted, and routine CTtherefore cannot rule out bladder injury (Mee et al.1987; Cass 1989; Ben-Menachem et al 1991) Horstman

et al reviewed the cystograms and CT scans of 25 tients who had both studies as the initial evaluation ofblunt abdominal trauma (Horstman et al 1991) Fiveout of 25 had bladder rupture, three extraperitonealand two intraperitoneal All injuries were detected byboth studies The authors felt that delayed imaging orcontrast instillation (CT cystography) can provide theadequate bladder distention needed to demonstratecontrast extravasation from the injury site during CT.Similarly, in a series of 316 patients, Deck et al diag-nosed 44 cases with bladder ruptures In patients whounderwent formal surgical repair, 82 % had operative

pa-findings that exactly matched the CT cystography

in-terpretation (Deck et al 2000) Thus, either retrograde

cystography or CT cystography are the diagnostic

pro-cedures of choice for suspected bladder injury

(Schnei-der 1993) CT cystography may be used in place of a

conventional cystography (overall sensitivity 95 % and

specificity 100 %), especially in patients undergoing CT

scanning for other associated injuries (Deck et al

2001) However, this procedure should be performed

using retrograde filling of the bladder with a minimum

of 350 cc of dilute contrast material (Wah and Spencer

2001)

CT cystographic features may lead to accurate

clas-sification of bladder injury (Figs 15.6.10, 11) and allow

prompt, effective treatment with less radiation

expo-sure and without the added cost of conventional

cysto-graphy (Vaccaro and Brody 2000)

Fig 15.6.10 CT cystography demonstrating extraperitoneal

extravasation of contrast material

Fig 15.6.11 Extraperitoneal rupture on CT cystography

15.6.5.7 Angiography

Angiography is rarely if ever indicated It can be useful

in identifying an occult source of bleeding and for apeutic embolization (Ben-Menachem et al 1991)

ther-15.6.5.8 Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Since it is extremely difficult to monitor a seriously jured patient in a strong magnetic field, MRI currentlyhas little place in the evaluation of acute bladder (Ben-Menachem et al 1991)

in-15.6.5.9 Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy appears an extremely useful tool in the agnosis of iatrogenic bladder injuries The results of amulticenter study as well as a comprehensive review ofthe literature indicated that the majority (49.4 % –64.7 %) of bladder injuries during gynecological opera-tions would be missed if cystoscopy were not per-formed at the end of each procedure (Gilmour et al.1999; Vakili et al 2005) The detection rate of bladderinjury by cystoscopy ranges from 85 % to 94.1 % in dif-ferent series (Harris et al 1997; Vakili et al 2005)

di-15.6.6 Treatment

The first priority in the treatment of bladder injuries isstabilization of the patient and treatment of associatedlife-threatening injuries

15.6.6.1 Blunt Trauma: Extraperitoneal Rupture

Most patients with extraperitoneal rupture can bemanaged safely by catheter drainage only, even in thepresence of extensive retroperitoneal or scrotal extrav-asation Virtually all ruptures are healed in 3 weeks(Morey et al 1999) However, involvement of the blad-der neck (Carroll and McAninch 1984), the presence ofbone fragments in the bladder wall, or entrapment ofthe bladder wall necessitate surgical intervention(Dreitlein et al 2001) In the absence of bladder neckinvolvement and/or associated injuries that requiresurgical intervention such as open pelvic fractures andrectal or vaginal lacerations, extraperitoneal bladderruptures caused by blunt trauma are managed by cath-eter drainage only (Cass and Luxenberg 1987) Thepresence of open pelvic fractures and/or rectal injuriesprecludes conservative management due to the high

15.6 Bladder Trauma 255

risk of serious infectious complications (Cass and

Lu-xenberg 1989) In patients undergoing surgery for

oth-er organ injuries, the lacoth-eration of the bladdoth-er wall

should also be repaired transvesically, if the patient is

stable at the time of the operation (Gomez et al 2004)

15.6.6.2

Blunt Trauma: Intraperitoneal Rupture

Intraperitoneal ruptures occurring after blunt trauma

should always be managed by surgical exploration

This type of injury involves a high degree of force, and

because of the severity of associated injuries carries a

high mortality rate of 20 % – 40 % (Cass 1989; Rehm et

al 1991) Lacerations are usually large in these

in-stances with potential risk of peritonitis due to urine

leakage, if left untreated (Deck et al 2000) Abdominal

organs should be inspected for possible associated

in-juries, and urinoma must be drained The technique of

surgical repair depends on the surgeon’s preference but

a two-layer closure with absorbable sutures achieves a

safe repair of the bladder wall A suprapubic catheter

can be used in addition to a urethral catheter to ensure

the adequacy of the drainage However, in a recent

study, patients with Foley catheter drainage alone had

equally good outcome (Volpe et al 1999)

15.6.6.3

Penetrating Trauma

All bladder perforations due to a penetrating trauma

should undergo emergency exploration and repair

(Deck et al 2000) Penetrating trauma to the pelvis

pre-sents a serious challenge because of the complex

anato-my of the region Penetrating trauma patients

present-ing with shock have a high incidence of vascular injury

and subsequent exsanguination, and associated

viscer-al injuries may complicate their management, resulting

in a high mortality rate However, stable patients can be

managed without operation, when appropriate

diag-nostic techniques fail to demonstrate an injury

(Dun-can et al 1989) Gunshot wounds to the bladder usually

result in intraperitoneal leaks, which require proper

drainage and repair of the associated lacerations of the

bladder wall as well as adjacent organs However, in the

occasional patient with extraperitoneal rupture,

non-operative management with Foley catheter drainage

can be used successfully (Velmahos and Degiannis

1997)

15.6.6.4

Iatrogenic Trauma

In patients with immediate diagnosis, bladder repair

accomplished by a transabdominal or transvaginal

two-layer closure effectively treats 98 % of cases and the

rest are managed by Foley catheter drainage kas et al 2004)

(Armena-15.6.6.5 Complications

In patients with bladder trauma, complications areusually the result of failure to diagnose the injury andrepair promptly This may result in urinoma formation,urinary leakage into the peritoneal cavity, ileus, perito-nitis, hematoma, abscess formation, fistula formation(rectal, vaginal, or cutaneous), and urinary tract infec-tion

Bladder injury with extravasation of urine with orwithout prostatic injury may complicate the course ofrecovery by impairing the coagulation mechanism Theprostatic capsule contains abundant activators of plas-minogen and urine contains high levels of urokinase, apotent plasminogen activator (Andersson 1980) Bothtissue activator and urokinase accelerate the dissolu-tion of clots and may consequently increase and pro-long hemorrhage (Hedlund 1969) Epsilon amino ca-proic acid (EACA) can be effective in controlling hema-turia after surgical procedures compared with placebo,and its use was not accompanied by significant compli-cations (Miller et al 1980) Tranexamic acid (amino-methyl cyclohexane carboxylic acid, AMCA) is a stron-ger inhibitor of plasminogen activation than EACA andmay significantly decrease the amount of blood lossand control the bleeding when administered in a totaldose of 3 – 12 g for 4 – 21 days (Hedlund 1975; Dunn andGoa 1999) without any increase in the incidence ofthrombosis compared to placebo (Hedlund 1975).Early angiography and transcatheter embolization

in patients with major blood requirements after pelvictrauma may help to avoid the need for and complica-tions of multiple transfusions and large pelvic hemato-mas Precise localization of bleeding sites and occlu-sion of the bleeding artery by either an injection of au-tologous clot or Gelfoam embolization can be success-fully achieved (Matalon et al 1979; Wong et al 2000;Ben-Menachem 1988)

15.6.7 Damage Control

Severe multiple traumatic injuries may cause acidosis,hypothermia, and coagulopathy, which have been asso-ciated with very high mortality rates (Zacharias et al.1999) Focusing the initial resuscitative efforts to stabi-lize the patient with the control of the hemorrhage(temporary packing) and gross contamination alongwith appropriate bladder drainage with and subse-quent intensive care may allow for later definitive re-pair of the injuries in a patient who will otherwise die

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References 259

15.7.2.2 Blunt Testicular Trauma 262

15.7.2.3 Blunt Vulvar Trauma 262

15.7.2.4 Penetrating Trauma of the External

Genitalia 262 Stab and Gunshot Genital Injuries 262 Genital Injuries Due to Bites 263 Straddle-Type Genital Injuries 263 Genital Mutilation 263

15.7.3 Diagnosis and Management of Genital

Trauma 264

15.7.4 Blunt Trauma of the Male Genitalia 264

15.7.4.1 Blunt Penile Trauma 264

15.7.4.2 Blunt Testicular Trauma 264

15.7.4.3 Blunt Female Trauma 265

15.7.4.4 Penetrating Trauma of the External

Genitalia 265 Penetrating Trauma in Men 265 Penetrating Women Trauma 265

15.7.5 Treatment of External Genital Trauma 265

15.7.5.1 Blunt Trauma 265

Blunt Penile Trauma 265 Blunt Testicular Trauma 266 Blunt Vulvar Trauma 266 15.7.5.2 Penetrating Trauma 266

Penetrating Penile Trauma 266 15.7.5.3 Penetrating Testicular Trauma 267

15.7.5.4 Penetrating Vulvar Trauma 267

References 267

15.7.1

Introduction

Traumatic injuries to the genitourinary tract are seen in

2.2 % – 10.3 % of patients admitted to emergency units

(Brandes et al 1995; Marekovic et al 1997; Salvatierra et

al 1969; Tucak et al 1995; Archbold et al 1981) Of these

injuries, between one-third and two-thirds are

associat-ed with injuries to the external genitalia (Brandes et al

1995) Due to anatomy and prevalence of accidents, men

have a higher incidence of genital trauma than women,

since men have an increased exposure to violence,

per-formance of aggressive sports and motor vehicle

acci-dents In addition, a worldwide increase in domestic lence has led to rising numbers of gunshot and stabwounds over the last few years (Tiguert et al 2000; Cline

vio-et al 1998; Jolly vio-et al 1994; Bertini and Corriere 1988),with as many as 35 % of all gunshot wounds affecting alsothe external genitalia (Monga and Hellstrom 1996).Genitourinary trauma is seen in all age groups, mostfrequently in males between 15 and 40 years of age.However, 5 % of trauma patients are less than 10 yearsold, again undermining the broad spectrum of trau-matic injuries requiring different specialists for man-agement (Monga and Hellstrom 1996)

There are certain popular sports with an increasedrisk for blunt and/or penetrating genital trauma, such

as off-road bicycling, horse-back riding, motorcycle ding, especially on bikes with a dominant gas tank (Lei-bovitch and Mor 2005) In addition, blunt testiculartrauma has been reported in in-line hockey skating andrugby players (Frauscher et al 2001; de Peretti et al.1993; Herrmann and Crawford 2002; Lawson et al.1995; McAninch et al 1984) Any type of full-contactsport, without the use of necessary protective aids, may

ri-be associated with genital trauma

Besides these risk groups, severe trauma to the ternal genitalia is seen in female genital mutilation andself-mutilation in psychotic patients and transsexuals(McAninch et al 1984)

ex-Genitourinary trauma is commonly caused by bluntinjuries (80 %), whereas 20 % result from penetratinglesions For the above-mentioned reasons, blunt inju-ries to the external genitalia are more frequently seen inmen than in women Although the incidence of trau-matic injuries is higher in males than females, the risk

of associated injuries to neighboring organs (bladder,urethra, vagina, and rectum) after blunt genital trauma

is higher in females than in males

In men, blunt genital trauma frequently occurs laterally, with only 1 % of cases presenting as bilateralscrotal and/or testicular injuries (Monga and Hell-strom 1996) However, penetrating scrotal injuries af-fect both testes in 30 % of cases (Monga and Hellstrom1996; Cass et al 1988) Besides locally extended lesionsassociated with penetrating trauma, there is a 70 % risk

uni-of additional injuries in both genders

Table 15.7.1 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

(AAST) organ injury severity scale for the vagina

Grade a Description of injury

I Contusion or hematoma

II Laceration, superficial (mucosa only)

III Laceration, deep into fat or muscle

IV Laceration, complex, into cervix or peritoneum

V Injury into adjacent organs (anus, rectum, urethra,

bladder)

a Advance one grade for multiple injuries up to grade III

Table 15.7.2 AAST organ injury severity scale for the vulva

Grade a Description of injury

I Contusion or hematoma

II Laceration, superficial (skin only)

III Laceration, deep into fat or muscle

IV Avulsion; skin, fat, or muscle

V Injury into adjacent organs (anus, rectum, urethra,

bladder)

a Advance one grade for multiple injuries up to grade III

Table 15.7.3 AAST organ injury severity scale for the testis

Grade a Description of injury

I Contusion or hematoma

II Subclinical laceration of tunica albuginea

III Laceration of tunica albuginea with < 50 %

paren-chymal loss

IV Major laceration of tunica albuginea with & 50 %

parenchymal loss

V Total testicular destruction or avulsion

a Advance one grade for bilateral lesions up to grade V

Table 15.7.4 AAST organ injury severity scale for the scrotum

Grade Description of injury

II Laceration < 25 % of scrotal diameter

III Laceration & 25 % of scrotal diameter

IV Avulsion < 50 %

V Avulsion & 50 %

Table 15.7.5 AAST organ injury severity scale for the penis

Grade Description of injury

I Cutaneous laceration/contusion

II Buck’s fascia (cavernosum) laceration without tissue

loss

III Cutaneous avulsion/laceration through

glans/mea-tus/cavernosal or urethral defect < 2 cm

IV Cavernosal or urethral defect & 2 cm/partial

penec-tomy

V Total penectomy

Because of this high incidence of associated lesions,accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with pen-etrating injuries are of utmost importance The classifi-cation of male and female genital trauma according tothe American Association for the Surgery of Trauma isgiven in Tables 15.7.1 – 15.7.5

One aspect that may not be forgotten in treatingtrauma patients is the associated increased risk of infec-tion of the emergency staff dealing with these patients,especially hepatitis B and C Recently, a 38 % infectionrate with hepatitis B and/or C in males with penetratinggunshot or stab wounds to the external genitalia was re-ported (Cline et al 1998) This incidence was signifi-cantly higher compared with the normal population,thus exposing emergency staff to an increased risk It isemphasized that standardized preventive proceduresmust be in place and available for the emergency staffnot only to save the patient’s life but also to guaranteeco-workers’ health Besides the risk of hepatitis infec-tion, which is still higher than for HIV, the possibletransmission of HIV by trauma patients must be takeninto consideration In a recent report by Xeroulis et al.,

a total of 287 consecutive trauma patients in Canadawere tested for Hep B/C and HIV infection (Xeroulis et

al 2005) One patient was positive for hepatitis B, eightfor hepatitis C, and none for HIV This revealed a three-fold higher seroprevalence for hepatitis C comparedwith the general population More than half of the hepa-titis C-positive patients were men injured in a motor ve-hicle crash with a mean Injury Severity Score of 19, de-termining that hepatitis C poses the highest risk to thetrauma team Although these numbers appear small,there may be demographic differences at different cen-ters, again emphasizing the importance of precautionsnecessary for physicians and nursing staff

15.7.2 Pathophysiology of Trauma to External Genitalia

15.7.2.1 Blunt Penile Trauma

Blunt trauma to the flaccid penis may result in neous hematoma resulting from injury to the subcuta-neous veins Because the penile subcutaneous layers(superficial, Colles fascia; deep, Buck’s fascia) meld intolower abdominal fascial layers (superficial Camper’sfascia, deep: Scarpa’s fascia), hematomas may spread tothe lower abdomen or to the penoscrotal base De-scending hematoma of the penile shaft can cause pre-putial swelling that may cause obstructive voiding, re-quiring transient catheterization

subcuta-Because of the thickness of the tunica albuginea inthe flaccid state (approximately 2 mm), blunt trauma tothe penis does not usually cause tearing of the tunica al-

15.7 Genital Trauma 261

buginea when there is no tumescence and rigidity

Dur-ing erection, increasDur-ing rigidity and tumescence cause

a thinning of the tunica, reducing the thickness of the

tunica in the fully erect state In these cases, a direct

blow to the erect penis may cause penile fracture,

fre-quently occurring during consensual intercourse,

which accounts for approximately 60 % of penile

frac-tures (Haas et al 1999) This usually occurs if the erect

penis slips out of the vagina and strikes against the

symphysis pubis or perineum, most frequently if the

women sits on top of the man Penile fracture primarily

affects the corporeal tunica by rupturing the tunica but

may be associated with lesions of the corpus

spongio-sum and urethra in 10 % – 22 % (Nicolaisen et al 1983;

Tsang and Demby 1992)

15.7.2.2

Blunt Testicular Trauma

Approximately 85 % of testicular injuries result from

blunt trauma (Morey et al 2004) Blunt trauma to the

scrotum can cause testicular dislocation, testicular

rupture, and/or subcutaneous scrotal hematoma

Overall, traumatic dislocation of the testicle occurs

rarely, commonly only unilaterally and in victims of car

or motorcycle accidents, or in pedestrians run over by

a vehicle (Lee et al 1992; Shefi et al 1999; Pollen and

Funckes 1982; Nagarajan et al 1983) Bilateral

disloca-tion of the testes has been reported in up to 25 % of

cases (Nagarajan et al 1983) It can result in

subcutane-ous or internal dislocation of the testis Subcutanesubcutane-ous

dislocation defines a subcutaneous epifascial

displace-ment of the testis, whereas during internal dislocation

of the testis it is positioned in the superficial external

inguinal ring, inguinal canal, or abdominal cavity

Depending on the magnitude of blunt power acting

on the scrotum, testicular rupture may occur in

ap-proximately 50 % of blunt scrotal traumas (Cass and

Luxenberg 1991) It can occur under intense, traumatic

compression of the testis against the inferior pubic

ra-mus or symphysis, resulting in a rupture of the tunica

albuginea of the testis Wasko and Goldstein estimated

that a force of approximately 50 kg is necessary to cause

testicular rupture (Wasko and Goldstein 1996)

15.7.2.3

Blunt Vulvar Trauma

Blunt trauma to the vulva is rarely reported and may be

caused by obstetric, athletic, or sexual trauma or rarely

by car or bicycle accidents The rich vulvar vascular

supply can be damaged by contusive frontal impacts,

which crush the vulvar tissues against the osseous

planes (Virgili et al 2000)

In obstetrics, incidence of traumatic vulvar

hemato-mas after vaginal deliveries was reported in only one

out of 310 deliveries (Sotto and Collins 1958) The quency in nonobstetric vulvar hematomas is even low-

fre-er, with only several cases reported (Propst and Thorp1998) Although the incidence of vulvar hematoma isgenerally low, its presence indicates further investiga-tions for associated lesions since vulvar hematoma isclosely related to an increased risk of vaginal, pelvic, orabdominal injuries Goldman et al reported on the fre-quency of blunt injuries of female external genitalia as-sociated with pelvic trauma in 30 %, consensual inter-course in 25 %, sexual assault in 20 %, and other blunttrauma in 15 % (Goldman et al 1998) Besides the pres-ence of perforating associated lesions, blunt perinealtrauma may result in female sexual dysfunction classi-fied as orgasmic disorders and/or hyposensitivity(Munnarriz et al 2002)

15.7.2.4 Penetrating Trauma of the External Genitalia

Penetrating trauma to the external genitalia is quently associated with complex injuries in other or-gans In children, penetrating injuries are most fre-quently seen after straddle-type falls or laceration ofgenital skin due to falls on sharp objects (Monga andHellstrom 1996; Okur et al 1996) In any penetratingtrauma, the tetanus immunization status of the patienthas to be clarified According to a recent review by Rhee

fre-et al., tfre-etanus toxoid booster was recommended in the

US for patients with the last immunization given morethan 10 years before Since toxoid booster does not pro-tect against the current injury, no urgency for the ad-ministration of tetanus toxoid in the acute setting hasbeen suggested This is divergent to suggestions by theWorld Health Organization recommending tetanustoxoid booster if tetanus immunization was receivedmore than 5 years before in patients with an openwound (World Health Organization 2000) Tetanus im-munoglobulin should be reserved only for previouslynonimmunized injured patients (Rhee et al 2005)

Stab and Gunshot Genital Injuries

Increasing worldwide domestic violence has led to arising incidence of stab and/or gunshot injuries associ-ated with injuries of the genitourinary tract The extent

of injuries associated with guns is related to the caliberand velocity of the missile (Jolly et al 1994) Handguns

or pistols range from 0.22 to 0.45 caliber, with a velocity

of 200 – 300 m/s In addition, magnum handguns mit 20 % – 60 % more energy than a standard handgun

trans-to the tissue due trans-to the higher velocity of the missile juries by rifles cause even more extensive lesions Rifleshave a caliber ranging from 0.17 to 0.46 with a kineticenergy transmission of up to 1,000 m/s

In-Missiles with a velocity of approximately 200 –

300 m/s are considered as low velocity inducing a

per-manent cavity by entering the body The energy along

the projectile path transmitted to the tissue is much less

than in high-velocity missiles, so that tissue

destruc-tion in low-velocity guns is less extensive (Jolly et al

1994) On the contrary, high-velocity missiles (velocity

of 800 – 1,000 m/s) have an explosive effect with

high-energy transmission to the tissue causing a temporary

cavity Due to the high-energy released, gaseous tissue

vaporization induces extensive damage, often

associat-ed with life-threatening injuries

In relation to the weapon, caliber and configuration

of the missile, gunshot wounds are classified as

pene-trating, perforating, and avulsive

a Penetrating injuries with low-velocity missiles

often retain the projectile in the tissue, causing a

small, ragged entry wound

b Perforating gunshot wounds are frequently seen in

low- to high-velocity missiles In these cases, the

missile passes through the tissue with a small entry

wound, but larger exit wound

c Serious injuries are associated with avulsive

gun-shot wounds caused by high-velocity missiles, with

a small entry wound comparable to the caliber but

a large tissue defect at the exit wound

Genital Injuries Due to Bites

Although animal bites are common, bites involving

in-jury to the external genital are rare Wounds are usually

minor but there is a potential risk of serious wound

in-fection The nature of local tissues and polymicrobial

microbiology of bite wounds make genital bites a

po-tentially morbid event Animal bites to external

genita-lia, especially to males, are rare Of the affected

pa-tients, 60 % – 70 % are boys aged under the age of

15 years (Gomes et al 2000) Time to presentation since

trauma, severity of injury, and the type of management

have a direct influence on the outcome A few small

se-ries (Gomes et al 2001) and case reports (Kyriakidis et

al 1979; Cummings and Boullier 2000) of genital bites

by different animals and humans have been reported

But the lack of large retrospective or even prospective

trials make it difficult for a broad consensus on the

management of these injuries (Nabi and Mishriki

2005)

Approximately 30 % of animal bite wounds already

present signs of infection within 48 h The most

com-mon bacterial infection by a dog bite is Pasturella

mul-ticida, which accounts for up to 50 % of infections

(Do-novan and Kaplan 1989) Other microorganisms

com-monly involved are Escherichia coli, Streptococcus

viri-dans, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroides, and

Fusobac-terium spp (Donovan and Kaplan 1989; McAninch et

al 1984) The first choice of antibiotics is penicillin

fol-lowed by cephalosporin or erythromycin In addition

to antibiotics, proper wound management includingsurgical exploration with debridement and dailywound care are recommended (Kerins et al 2004)

In animal bites, the possibility of rabies infectionmust always be considered In case of domestic pres-ence of rabies infection in animals, vaccination must begiven to prevent life-threatening infections (Dreesenand Hanlon 1998) The estimated worldwide number ofdeaths due to rabies infection amounted to approxi-mately 55,000 in 2004, most commonly in rural areas ofAfrica and Asia In addition to vaccination, localwound management is an essential part of postexpo-sure rabies prophylaxis If rabies infection is suspected,vaccination should be considered in relation to the ani-mal involved, the specific nature of the wound and at-tack (provoked/unprovoked), and the appearance ofthe animal (aggressive, foam at the mouth) Presently,vaccination with human rabies immunoglobulin andhuman diploid cell vaccine is recommended (Dreesenand Hanlon 1998; Anderson 1992)

Human bites to external genitalia include an evenbroader range of possible infections with an additionalrisk of sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis,hepatitis, HIV, herpes, actinomycosis, or tuberculosis(Franke et al 1999)

Straddle-Type Genital Injuries

Straddle-type injuries may cause genitourinary

trau-ma, such as vaginal hematotrau-ma, vaginal contusion, nile laceration, or urethral injuries In children, play-ground equipment-specific injuries are attributed inmajority to monkey bars, jungle gyms, swings, andslides (Waltzman et al 1999)

pe-Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation, often referred to as femalecircumcision, comprises all procedures involving par-tial or total removal of the external female genitalia (la-bia majora/minora, clitoris) and/or other injuries tothe female genitalia (World Health Organization 2000)

It is still commonly performed in some parts of Africaand the Middle East (Collinet et al 2004) Some case re-ports even reported genital mutilation performed inEurope (Sheldon 2005; Holmgren et al 2005; Turone2004)

According to a recent report from southwestern geria, the majority of genital mutilations were per-formed by medically untrained personnel (89 %) with acomplication rate up to 67 % (Dare et al 2004) The pro-cedure is generally performed in young adrenarchalwomen without anesthesia, with a high rate of hemor-rhagic shock, urinary retention, and ulceration of thegenital region Late complications include vulvar intro-

Ni-15.7 Genital Trauma 263

ital stenosis, HIV transmission, retention cysts and

ab-scesses, keloid scar formation, urinary incontinence,

dyspareunia, and sexual dysfunction, as well as

diffi-culties with childbirth (World Health Organization

2000)

15.7.3

Diagnosis and Management of Genital Trauma

Proper management of genital trauma requires a

de-tailed history, if possible, physical examination, and

imaging techniques Especially in penetrating wounds,

information concerning the accident, possibly involved

persons, animals, vehicles, and weapons (knife, gun,

etc.) are important to estimate the extent of injury, the

potential risk of associated lesions, and subsequent

in-fections

In addition to the history and physical examination,

a urine analysis is mandatory Since an abusive assault

may be related to genital injuries, physicians must

con-sider the emotional difficulty for the patient as well as

their privacy in such examinations This requires the

investigation of the patient alone without persons

relat-ed with the patient and may require short term

anes-thesia for physical examination In case of suspicion,

taking swabs or vaginal smears for detection of

sper-matozoa is mandatory (Okur et al 1996) Additionally,

other specialists may be requested (pediatrician,

gyne-cologist) for proper management of the patient In

or-der to follow domestic rules and regulations, it is

man-datory to be aware of local guidelines such as the 2002

National Guidelines on the Management of Adult

Vic-tims of Sexual Assault (2002)

15.7.4

Blunt Trauma of the Male Genitalia

15.7.4.1

Blunt Penile Trauma

An essential part in the evaluation of blunt penile

trau-ma is the status of penile rigidity at injury In case of a

flaccid penis at trauma, cavernosal and/or spongiosa

corporeal injuries are unlikely Penile ultrasonography

with or without Duplex sonography and/or penile MRI

are not indicated

If the patient reports on an erection at injury,

diag-nosis of penile fracture can be made after a thorough

history and examination in most cases Patients most

commonly report a sudden cracking or popping sound

of the erect penis associated with moderate local pain

but immediate penile detumescence As a result, local

swelling of the penile shaft develops with progressive

hematoma that may occur along fascial layers of the

pe-nile shaft extending to the lower abdominal wall in case

of rupture of Buck’s fascia Depending on the extent ofthe hematoma, rupture of the tunica may be palpated(Morey et al 2004)

In case of macro- or microhematuria, retrograde ethrography is mandatory to determine the presence ofurethral injury (Morey et al 2004) Presence of micro-hematuria without radiographic lesion of the urethrarequires no further intervention In case of radiograph-

ur-ic urethral lesion, a transurethral catheter can beplaced for bladder drainage

Besides history and clinical examination, imagingtechniques may be performed by cavernosography andmagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Aboloyosr et al.2005; Karadeniz et al 1996; Pretorius et al 2001) Bothtechniques may identify laceration of the tunica albugi-nea Recent reports support the role of MRI as particu-larly helpful in investigating the integrity of the tunicaalbuginea, and presence of intracavernosal or extratu-nical hematoma (Uder et al 2002) Associated injuries

to adjacent structures (e.g., corpus spongiosum, thra) may also be found

ure-It remains uncertain whether the routine use of trast material-enhanced MRI is justified in these cases(Choi et al 2000) Presently, cavernosography and/orMRI are the most accurate imaging procedures in caseswhere penile fracture is suspected but the clinical find-ings are unclear (Fedel et al 1996)

con-15.7.4.2 Blunt Testicular Trauma

Patients report posttraumatic immediate scrotal pain,nausea, vomiting, and sometimes they faint They oftenpresent with a tender, swollen scrotum and a impalpa-ble testis High-resolution, real-time ultrasonographywith a 7.5- to 10-MHz probe should be performed todetermine intra- and/or extratesticular bleeding, tes-ticular contusion or rupture (Tsang and Demby 1992;Pavlica and Barozzi 2001; Micallef et al 2001; Patil andOnuora 1994; Corrales et al 1993; Mulhall et al 1995;Martinez-Pineiro et al 1992; Fournier et al 1989; Krat-zik et al 1989)

Controversial results have been presented regardingthe usefulness of ultrasonography in testicular trauma.Some reported convincing results emphasizing the im-portance of sonography with accuracy reaching 94 %(McAninch et al 1984; Pavlica and Barozzi 2001; Marti-nez-Pineiro et al 1992; Fournier et al 1989), whereasothers presented only low specificity (78 %) and sensi-tivity (28 %) in determining testicular rupture (Cor-rales et al 1993) Some reported an overall accuracy ofscrotal ultrasound for testicular rupture of only 56 %,irrespective of the investigator (Corrales et al 1993) Sofar, it is the authors’ opinion that gray-scale ultrasonog-raphy with 7.5- to 10-MHz remains a noninvasive tech-nique with good reliability in experienced hands and

should be performed in case of blunt testicular trauma.

Information may be increased by color Doppler duplex

ultrasonography to evaluate testicular perfusion In

case of inconclusive scrotal sonography, testicular

computed tomography (CT) or MRI may be helpful in

elucidating scrotal dilemmas (Muglia et al 2002)

How-ever, these techniques did not specifically increase the

detection of testicular rupture The time delay

associat-ed with imaging studies has to be weighassociat-ed against the

reliability of information in order to decide whether or

not surgical exploration is indicated If imaging studies

cannot exclude testicular rupture, surgical exploration

should be initiated

15.7.4.3

Blunt Female Trauma

In women, colposcopy and vulvovaginoscopy are a

val-id way of val-identifying genital injuries and are

mandato-ry if sexual assault is suspected (Mancino et al 2003)

The presence of micro- or macrohematuria should not

be misinterpreted as menstrual bleeding In women

with genital injuries and blood at the vaginal introitus,

it has been repeatedly emphasized that this may not

on-ly result from menstrual bleeding, but further

investi-gation is required to exclude vaginal injuries (Hussman

1998) As already mentioned, blunt genital trauma in

women seldom occurs, but if vulvar hematoma develop

there is a high chance of associated injuries The

per-formance of flexible or rigid cystoscopy has been

rec-ommended to exclude urethral and bladder injury

(Goldman et al 1998; Hussmann 1998) Complete

vagi-nal inspection with specula is mandatory and, because

of pain, should be carried out under sedation or

gener-al anesthesia in most cases In case of suspected assault,

vaginal smears must be taken for determination of

spermatozoa

As blunt trauma to the vulva is often associated with

pelvic trauma, imaging studies of the pelvis with CT or

MRI should be performed to exclude intrapelvic

pa-thologies (Okur et al 1996; Hussmann 1998)

15.7.4.4

Penetrating Trauma of the External Genitalia

As already mentioned in Sect 15.7.2, “Pathophysiology

of Trauma to External Genitalia,” the importance of a

thorough history concerning the penetrating injury

must again be emphasized Especially for gunshot

wounds, information concerning the type of weapons

used, the approximate distance of the missiles

en-trance, caliber, and size of the bullet is helpful for

fur-ther treatment

Penetrating Trauma in Men

Any kind of penetrating trauma of the external genitalrequires urethrography irrespective of urine analysis toexclude urethral lesion Additionally, abdominal and apelvic CT scan, with or without cystography, may beperformed in those cases that do not require immediatesurgery

Penetrating Women Trauma

Penetrating lesions of the external genitalia without sions of adjacent organs are extremely rare, requiring

le-an abdominal le-and pelvic CT scle-an in le-any case If the CTscan cannot exclude associated bowel injuries or in-traabdominal bleeding, exploratory laparoscopy hasbeen suggested in hemodynamically stable patientsprior to exploratory laparotomy (Okur et al 1996) Inthe hemodynamically unstable patient, exploratorylaparotomy is indicated

15.7.5 Treatment of External Genital Trauma15.7.5.1

Blunt Trauma

Blunt Penile Trauma

Blunt trauma to the flaccid penis usually develops onlysubcutaneous hematoma requiring no surgical inter-vention The presence of subcutaneous hematoma,without rupture of the cavernosal tunica albuginea and

no immediate detumescence of the erect penis, doesnot require surgical intervention In these cases, non-steroidal analgetics and ice packs are recommended

Preputial swelling and edema may require transientcatheterization with the need for percutaneous cystos-tomy only in a few selected cases with an increased risk

of local inflammatory complications (i.e., necrotizingfasciitis) In case of necrotizing fasciitis, rapid exten-sive surgical debridement is very important in addition

to broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy

In the case of penile fracture, immediate surgical tervention with closure of the tunica albuginea is rec-ommended Closure of the tunica can be obtained byusing either absorbable or nonabsorbable sutures, withgood long-term outcome and protection of potency.Postoperative complications were reported in 9 %, in-cluding superficial wound infection and impotence in1.3 % (Haas et al 1999; Orvis and McAninch 1989).Conservative management of penile fracture is not rec-ommended because of early and long-term complica-tions, including penile abscess, missed partial urethraldisruption, penile curvature, and persistent hematomarequiring delayed surgical intervention (Orvis andMcAninch 1989) In addition, fibrosis and penile angu-

in-15.7 Genital Trauma 265

lation were reported in 35 % after conservative

man-agement of penile fracture (Haas et al 1999; Orvis and

McAninch 1989)

Blunt Testicular Trauma

Blunt trauma to the scrotum can cause significant

he-matocele without testicular rupture Conservative

management with ice packs, nonsteroidal analgetics,

and bed rest is recommended in hematoceles smaller

than three times the size of the contralateral testis

(Ti-guert et al 2000) Several authors reported the risks of

conservative management in blunt scrotal trauma

re-quiring delayed interventions (> 3 days) in many cases,

with a significantly higher rate of orchiectomy even in

the nonruptured testis (Monga and Hellstrom 1996;

Cass and Luxenberg 1988, 1991; McAninch et al 1984;

Altarac 1994) The reasons for delayed interventions

re-quiring surgery were local infections and pain It was

repeatedly reported that early surgical intervention,

i.e., within 72 h, resulted in more than 90 %

preserva-tion of the testis, whereas delayed surgery necessitated

orchiectomy in 45 % – 55 % (Cass and Luxenberg 1991)

If the integrity of testicular tunica albuginea cannot be

clearly visualized or duplex ultrasonography shows

re-duced perfusion in the injured testicles, scrotal

explo-ration is indicated

Additionally, pain and duration of hospital stay may

be markedly reduced by early surgical intervention for

large hematoceles Because of the long convalescence in

large hematoceles, surgical exploration is

recommend-ed, irrespective of testicle contusion or rupture By

evacuation of the blood clot from the tunica vaginalis,

testicular pain is relieved and rehabilitation will be

more rapid (Altarac 1994)

In cases of testicular rupture, surgical exploration

with excision of necrotic testicular tubules, closure of

the tunica albuginea is mandatory and suction drainage

should be applied By early intervention, 80 % of injured

testicles can be saved (Fowler et al 1992) and normal

testicular endocrine function can be maintained By

ap-plying intravenous antibiotics and nonsteroidal

anti-in-flammatory drugs within 6 h after injury, a reduction in

infectious risk has been seen (Whelan et al 2005)

Traumatic dislocation of the testis can be

reposi-tioned manually followed by delayed surgical

orchido-pexy In cases of insufficient positioning of the

dislo-cated testis posttraumatically, primary orchidopexy is

indicated

Blunt Vulvar Trauma

Blunt trauma to the vulva is rare and commonly

pre-sents as extended hematomas Management of vulvar

hematomas may range from conservative treatment to

surgical decompression In most cases, vulvar

hemato-mas after blunt trauma do not require surgical vention, but they may cause significant blood loss re-quiring transfusion Reported data are scarce, and rec-ommendations for vulvar wound management arebased on empirical experience (Propst and Thorp 1998;Goldman et al 1998; Okur et al 1996; Husmann 1998)

inter-In hemodynamically stable women, nonsteroidal inflammatories and cold packs relieve pain, requiring

anti-no surgical intervention in the majority of cases

In extended vulvar hematoma or in unstable tients, hospitalization may be indicated for surgical in-tervention, stabilization, and reduction of infectiousrisks The additional use of antibiotics is recommended

pa-in major vulvar trauma

However, blunt trauma to the female external talia may be associated with voiding problems and/orlesions to adjacent organs Therefore, transurethralcatheterization for dip stick testing is indicated to ex-clude hematuria requiring further investigations

geni-15.7.5.2 Penetrating Trauma

Penetrating trauma to the external genitalia requiresurgical exploration in most cases, including debride-ment and reconstruction in order to prevent late com-plications such as urethral strictures, penile curvatureand erectile dysfunction, and testicular atrophy (Morey

et al 2004) In complex wounds with persistent tion, negative-pressure wound therapy (vacuum de-vices) complements surgical and medical intervention(Whelan et al 2005)

infec-Penetrating Penile Trauma

Surgical exploration and conservative debridement ofnecrotic tissue is recommended with primary closure

in most cases Even in extended injuries of the penis orcomplete dissection, primary repair should be triedwith only minor excision of necrotic tissue due to theexcellent blood supply of penile corpora In completedissection of the penis, vascular and neuronal realign-ment should be performed by a skilled microsurgeon inaddition to corporeal and urethral reconstruction(McAninch et al 1984; Van der Horst et al 2004)

In extended loss of penile shaft skin, split-thicknessgrafts can be utilized after infectious control McA-ninch et al recommended the use of a skin graft thick-ness of at least 0.001 inch in order to reduce the risk ofskin contractions restricting penile enlargement dur-ing erection (McAninch et al 1984) Additionally, dur-ing reconstruction grafts should be placed circumfe-rentially to the artificially erected penis to prevent con-tracture, shortening, or deviation In case of propersurgical management, potency rates of more than 80 %can be achieved (Goldman et al 1996) Excellent clini-

cal results are also reported on the use of autologous

rectus fascia graft for coverage of a tunica or corporeal

defect (Pathak et al 2005)

Besides postsurgical transient urethral stenting, a

suprapubic cystostomy may be placed in addition to

broad-spectrum antibiotics

15.7.5.3

Penetrating Testicular Trauma

Penetrating injuries to the scrotum require surgical

ex-ploration with conservative debridement of nonviable

tissue Primary realignment can be easily obtained, in

most cases Only in severe infection or necrotizing

fas-ciitis would debridement with subcutaneous femoral

displacement of the testicles be required initially After

proper wound granulation, reconstructive surgery

ei-ther by secondary closure of the scrotal skin and

re-placement of the testis can be obtained or split

thick-ness grafts may be used for scrotal reconstruction

(Rapp et al 2005) In cases of high-velocity gunshot

in-juries, the testicle could not be saved in almost 90 % of

the reported cases (Gomez et al 1993)

Complete disruption of the spermatic cord occurs

and is treated with vascular realignment if possible

Mi-crosurgical reconstruction of the vas deferens either by

vasovasostomy or tubulovasostomy should only be

performed in the hemodynamically stable patient or

secondarily after rehabilitation of the patient (Altarac

1993) If there is extensive destruction of the tunica

al-buginea, mobilization of a free tunica vaginalis flap can

be obtained for testicular closure If the patient is

un-stable or reconstruction cannot be achieved,

orchiecto-my should be performed If both testicles are severely

damaged, prior to surgery or even after orchiectomy,

testicular epididymal sperm extraction (TESE)

map-ping may be considered for future artifical

reproduc-tion (Baniel and Sella 2001; Negri et al 2002)

Extended laceration of scrotal skin requires surgical

intervention for skin closure after removal of any

for-eign material Due to the elasticity of the scrotum, most

defects can be primarily closed, even if the lacerated

skin is only minimally attached to the body (McAninch

et al 1984) The recreative capacity of scrotal skin is

high, indicating conservative debridement and

prima-ry realignment in most cases However, local wound

management with extensive rinsing of the wound is an

important fact for scrotal convalescence Even in cases

of complete disruption of scrotal skin, it can be

re-aligned in most cases after debridement and washing

In fact, there is an associated risk of harming the

vascu-lar plexus in the stratum reticuvascu-lare of the skin, causing

partial necrosis of full-thickness skin grafts This in

turn may require resection and staged closure with

split-thickness grafts or, depending upon the extent of

the defect, secondary granulation of the wound It must

be noted that using thick skin flaps, or burying the ticle are not recommended for patients who wish to re-main fertile, as the spermatogenesis deteriorates sub-stantially after a period of 2 years (Wang et al 2003)

tes-Although the rehabilitative capacity of the scrotum

is very good, the use of antibiotics is indicated in anycase of penetrating trauma

15.7.5.4 Penetrating Vulvar Trauma

Although penetrating vulvar trauma is rarely seen, it iseven more important to emphasize that vulvar hemato-

ma and/or blood at the vaginal introitus are an tion for vaginal exploration in order to identify possi-ble associated vaginal and/or rectal injuries under se-dation or general anesthesia (Husmann 1998) In case

indica-of vulvar laceration, realignment after conservative bridement is indicated If there are associated injuries

de-to the vagina, these can be repaired immediately by mary suturing Additional injuries to the bladder, rec-tum, or bowel may require laparotomy for closure and,

pri-in case of rectal pri-injuries, may necessitate transient lostomy

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15.8 Management of Penile Amputation

G.H Jordan

15.8.1 Introduction 270

15.8.2 History of Penile Replantation 271

15.8.3 Anatomy of the Penis 271

When one reviews the literature surrounding penile

amputation, most of what is found is individual case

re-ports or rere-ports of small series Thus what is

consid-ered to be state-of-the-art management is gleaned from

literature review, and frankly reliant on expert opinion

An exception to this statement is a series of penile

am-putation from Thailand published in 1983

(Bhangana-da et al 1983) in the American Journal of Surgery That

report described the management of approximately

100 cases of penile amputation, many of which

preced-ed the description of microreplantation techniques and

validated much of what literature reviews have

pro-posed

In Western culture, penile amputation injuries are

seen primarily as a result of felonious assault or

self-emasculation in the psychotic individual who is

re-sponding to command hallucinations One will also

find descriptions of penile amputation as a

conse-quence of circumcision In most cases, however, in

cir-cumcision trauma, what is amputated is the penile skin

and/or only a portion of the glans (Neulander et al

1996; Strimling 1996) True penile amputation is seen

in cultures that still perform ritual circumcision, but

again the literature reveals only sporadic reports

(Ameh et al 1997; Ozkan and Gurpinar 1997; Hashem

et al 1999; Silfen et al 2000; Izzidien 1981)

In a review by Greilsheimer and Groves (1979), it

was found that patients who amputate or mutilate their

genitalia represent a heterogenous group Eighty-seven

percent are believed or shown to be psychotic at the

time of the accident, with 51 % in a decompensated

schizophrenic state The other group represents

indi-viduals with severe character disorders or in somecases gender identity problems Those individuals areoften under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time

of their genital amputation event While many tic individuals have a long history of mental illness,usually the act of self-mutilation occurs during anacute psychotic decompensation There are some indi-viduals who during their first psychotic break will at-tempt the amputation of the penis or another bodypart In a paper by Hall et al (1981), it was reported thatthe psychotic individual often has a history of preexi-sting conflicts about his role as a male; but with a psy-chotic break, the individual comes under the effect ofhallucinations commanding him to amputate all of hisgenitalia, or some other form of partial self-mutilation.Blacker and Wong (1963) show that many of thesepatients are born to a domineering older mother in thehome where there is no male influence In many cases,the families are impoverished, thus limiting the associ-ation of the child with other adults and in particularadult males It was found that many of these individualswere made to feel guilty or inadequate as males in theirchildhood Blacker and Wong have described self-mu-tilation as a form of focal suicide Dogma would saythat in the case of self-mutilation, replantation is con-traindicated, as the patient, when capable, will “justpull the replanted part off again.” This has not been theexperience of the author, and Stewart and Lowery(1980) in their review state that self-inflicted injury isnot an absolute contraindication The literature in factattests to a high degree of successful mental rehabilita-tion in these patients I believe that the dictum should

psycho-be replantation first and psychiatry second mer and Groves’ (1979) review of over 40 patients of pe-nile amputation show that in that group there was onlyone postoperative suicide and one repeat attempt atgenital self-mutilation That said, however, when one isconfronted in the emergency room with a patient whohas undertaken genital self-mutilation, one must bevery careful to know the laws of the venue in which one

Greilshei-is “operating.” In some cases, court order Greilshei-is required, insome states only the agreeing opinion of two practi-tioners is required, and certainly many other variations

of this theme exist from state to state Often times,

get-ting consent from the patient is possible and where

possible should absolutely be done

At our center, we have also become aware of another

interesting phenomenon, probably best described as

focal homicide by proxy We have treated two cases in

whom a male child was the victim of penile amputation

by his mother The motivation, however, for the attack

on the child was the behavior of the father In one case,

the father was actively physically abusive of the woman;

and in another case the father had been discovered to

be having an affair In neither case was replantation

possible, as the child’s mother took steps to ensure that

the amputated part was not available

With regards to the patient with command

halluci-nations, the hallucinations not uncommonly involve

God or God’s representative telling the patient to

muti-late himself (Schweitzer 1990; Clark 1981; Waugh 1986;

Culliford 1987) Ames (1987) has suggested the eponym

of Klingsor syndrome for the phenomenon In some

cases, the delusions involve the notion that there is

promise of great things currently denied the individual

because of sexual thoughts or sexual indiscretion

Many of these patients find, initially, the hallucinations

to be troublesome Many patients look to the Bible for

“confirmation of the will of God.” Examples of

scrip-ture which seem to support the notions of the

halluci-nations can be found in Matthew 5 : 9, Matthew 18 : 9,

and Mark 9 : 47 The delusional individual obviously

misrepresents, to himself, the intent of scripture, thus

interpreting the scripture as reaffirmation of the

com-mands In talking with these patients, once the patient

has his affirmation, it is only a matter of time before he

proceeds with the act of genital mutilation

The patient, often times, reports the commands to

doctors or other medical personnel, but in vague terms

It is trite to say, however, that the best way to treat a

pe-nile amputation is to prevent it Thus all primary care

practitioners, primary healthcare or not, must be alert

to the vagueness of these comments; and when they are

heard, they must be regarded as very serious and not

absurd and trifling, as in many cases they may seem

15.8.2

History of Penile Replantation

In 1929, the first case of replantation of an amputated

penis was reported (Ehrich 1929) The patient had

am-putated his penis using a radial saw During the trauma,

the patient’s penile skin was avulsed; the penis was

re-planted by macroscopic techniques and buried in the

patient’s scrotum Two years later, with liberation of the

penis from the scrotum, the patient had a penis that

looked quite normal cosmetically and functioned very

normally In 1976, two groups independently reported

the first successful microreplantation of an amputated

penis (Cohen et al 1977; Tamai et al 1977) Neithergroup was aware of the other’s work, and since theselandmark reports, other cases using similar techniqueshave been published with excellent, reproducible re-sults A review by Carroll and associates in 1985 (Car-roll et al 1985) proposed a logical sequence of care forthe patient with penile amputation In that review, pa-tients were reported to have excellent sensation; ability

to achieve intromission was not specifically addressed.Using techniques that vary little from the initial reports

of 1977, microreplantation of the penis has beenchanged from reportable to essentially nonreportable

In 1968, McRoberts reported a case and review of theliterature (McRoberts et al 1968) He then summarizedthe technique for replantation of the amputated penisusing macrotechniques In that technique, all struc-tures that could be coapted were coapted; this included

a repair of the urethra, coaptation of the erectile ies, and later it was proposed that anastomosis of thedorsal vein was possible under loop magnification withimproved results McRoberts had noted that usingthese techniques, the skin of the penis if it was avulsed

bod-at the time of trauma was frequently sloughed duringthe postoperative period He thus recommended de-briding the skin of the penis to the coronal margin andburying the penis in the scrotum The penis could later

be liberated, and with the development of cal techniques, nerve repair could later be undertaken

microsurgi-In these cases, often times the glans will develop an char; however, uniformly the spongy erectile tissueseems to survive and will re-epithelialize In the above-mentioned series from Thailand, 18 of the 100 caseswere managed with microreplantation techniques,many were managed by macroreplantation techniques,and of course in some cases, the end of the penis ofsome unfortunate patients did not manage to make it tothe hospital with the patient

es-15.8.3 Anatomy of the Penis

The deep vasculature of the penis is totally dependent

on branches of the deep internal pudendal arteries.These are branches of the hypogastric artery The pu-dendal artery courses to the perineum via Alcock’s ca-nal, and in the perineum gives off the posterior scrotalarteries and the perineal arteries The vessels then con-tinue as the common penile artery (Fig 15.8.1) wherethe artery goes on to multiply bifurcate to provide vas-culature to the corpus spongiosum and urethra, as well

as the corporal bodies and the glans penis (Kodos1967) The skin of the penis is dependent on a fasciocu-taneous blood supply based on the superficial externalpudendal artery (Fig 15.8.2) (Quartey 1983) The ve-nous drainage of the penis has likewise been nicely de-

15.8 Management of Penile Amputation 271

Fig 15.8.1 Illustration of the common penile arterial system.

This is the vasculature to the deep structures of the penis

Fig 15.8.2 Illustration of the superficial external pudendal

ar-tery as described by the microinjection studies of Quartey

(Quartey 1983)

scribed The venous system has been divided into three

systems: 1) the superficial dorsal system, 2) the deep

dorsal venous system, and 3) the crural vessels, which

depart from the corporal cavernosa at the crus of the

corpora and go on to drain into the periprostatic

plex-us, and the cavernosal venous system, which likewise

departs from the proximal crura and becomes part of

the dorsal vein to the penis and the periprostatic plexus

(Fig 15.8.3) (Aboseif et al 1993)

Fig 15.8.3 Illustration of the venous drainage of the deep

structures of the penis (Aboseif 1983)

15.8.4 Penile Replantation

When one is alerted, as a surgeon, that a patient withpenile amputation is being brought in, the initial atten-tion must be directed to the preservation of the ampu-tated portion of the penis Hypothermia prolongs theischemic survival times of all tissues (Hayhurst et al.1974) The amputated penis must be regarded as a freeflap Literature that has examined the no-reflow phe-nomena in a rabbit flap survival model shows that is-chemia time clearly affects these phenomena (May et

al 1978) This has been shown in a number of other flapmodels In a study examining digital replantation, Hay-hurst and his associates demonstrated that hypother-mia prolonged the ischemia time or was compatiblewith eventual survival from 6 to 24 h (Hayhurst et al.1974) The precise response to hypothermia of the pe-nis has not been studied; however, penile replantationafter 16 h, much of which was normal thermic ischemiatime, has been reported to be successful (Hashem et al.1999; Mosahebi et al 2001; Jezior et al 2001) At ourcenter, a penis was successfully replanted after 18 h,much of which was hypothermic ischemia time.Thus I would recommend the following technique:the penis should be placed in saline-soaked gauze andthen placed in a sterile plastic bag The plastic bag canthen be placed in slush and the amputated part thentransported (Fig 15.8.4)

The process that we have used in our patients beginswith obtaining approval to proceed with surgery Theamputated organ remains in hypothermic preserva-tion It is essential that the patient be well hydrated, andthroughout the procedure, the patient’s body tempera-

Fig 15.8.4 Illustration of the technique of “cold ischemic”

preservation of organs In the case of the penis, the amputated

part should be placed on a saline-soaked sponge and put into

a sterile (if none is available, clean) plastic bag The bag is then

immersed in iced slush

ture should be kept normal Thus we aggressively useheat lamps and heating devices to keep the patientwarm and peripherally vasodilated

Without question, microsurgical techniques havebeen demonstrated to be superior and hence are thepreferred method of replantation whenever possible.The technique has been well described The structuresthat must be anastomosed are the deep dorsal vein, thedorsal arteries, and the dorsal nerves (Fig 15.8.5) Theerectile bodies are coapted, and a two-layer spatulatedurethral reanastomosis is performed Thus, minimaldebridement is required to expose these structures(Fig 15.8.5d) We proceed with the urethral recon-struction first, and a Foley catheter is then plac-

ed through the urethra to stabilize the two parts(Fig 15.8.5d) The urethral epithelium is approximatedwith small polyglycolic acid (PGA) sutures, and thebody of the corpus spongiosum reapproximated with asmall suture of poly diaxanone (PDS) While proximal-

ly the cavernosal arteries can be identified, it is not ommended to try to do a microanastomosis of these ar-teries, as the technique is difficult, control of the proxi-mal arteries almost impossible, and nothing has shownimproved results with the attempts at coaptation Next,the corpora cavernosa are reapproximated This isdone with small interrupted sutures of polydiaxanone(PDS)

rec-The dorsal neurovascular structures are then dressed (Fig 15.8.5d) The vascular integrity of the cor-pora cavernosa has been reestablished, and because thecorpus spongiosum has been reopposed, there will besome venous drainage of the penis Hence, one can pro-ceed with the anastomosis of the dorsal arteries; 10-0 or11-0 nylon suture is used for these anastomoses Thedorsal vein is then reanastomosed and a 9-0 or 10-0 ny-lon suture can be used After the penis has been revas-cularized, the surgeon can then direct his attention tothe coaptation of the dorsal nerves Proximally the epi-neurium can be coapted using 9-0 or 10-0 nylon suture

ad-If the amputation is very distal, then the surgeon mayfind that, in some areas, fascicular coaptation may berequired The Foley catheter is then removed, a urethralstent of soft silicone silastic is placed in the distal ure-thra, to serve as a drain The urine is diverted via a su-prapubic cystostomy catheter We have kept our pa-

Fig 15.8.5a–d Collage illustrating the technique of plantation of the penis a The amputated part is placed on the operating table b Minimal dissection and debridement of

microre-Buck’s fascia, the tunica albuginea in some cases, and the thral edges are required The urethra is mobilized somewhat both distally and proximally to allow for a spatulated anasto-

ure-mosis c The Foley catheter is placed through the urethra and a two-layer spatulated anastomosis is performed d The corpora

cavernosa have been reapproximated using an interrupted long-acting absorbable suture The microvasculature and nerves are then anastomosed and coapted

15.8 Management of Penile Amputation 273

tients at bed rest for approximately 1 week and have

maintained their urinary diversion for 2 – 3 weeks,

de-pending on wound healing, i.e., the presence or lack of

presence of associated skin loss We do not do

pericath-eter urethrograms, but rather at the time of the voiding

trial with contrast, the stent is removed, the patient’s

bladder is filled, and as mentioned a voiding film using

contrast is obtained We do not routinely use

anticoag-ulation in these patients As mentioned, during the

early postoperative period, the patients are kept in a

warm room, ostensibly keeping them peripherally

di-lated and somewhat hyperdynamic They are kept well

hydrated, the hematocrit is kept at a level in the low 30s,

in other words, the vast majority of these patients do

not require transfusion The patient is closely

moni-tored using Doppler

If the patient is transferred to a facility without

mi-croreplantation capabilities or if the patient’s other

physical conditions would preclude the time required

for a microreplantation, then the technique described

by McRoberts and associates (McRoberts et al 1968)

has also yielded surprisingly good and consistent

re-sults Briefly, as already mentioned, they suggest that

the distal penile skin be removed, and the

reapproxi-mated penile shaft be buried in the scrotum with the

glans protruding The corpora cavernosa are coapted,

and the urethra is reconstructed; if possible the dorsal

vein can be coapted, and one must be careful to ensure

that the proximal ends and the distal ends of the dorsal

arteries are ligated A urethral stent is placed, a urethral

Foley catheter is not used, and a suprapubic cystostomy

is placed

If the patient presents without the amputated end of

his penis, hemostasis must be obtained, and the issue

then is how to close the penis In many cases, a great

deal of skin has been amputated, but not much of the

erectile bodies, and in these cases, primary grafting

with a split-thickness skin graft is acceptable To avoid

subsequent meatal stenosis, the neomeatus must be

widely spatulated, no matter what technique of skin

coverage is employed

15.8.5

Summary

The development of microsurgery techniques has

dras-tically modified the management of these injuries The

results reported in the literature have been

astonishing-ly good (Stewart and Lowery 1980; Cohen et al 1977;

Tamai et al 1977; Aboseif et al 1993; Jezior et al 2001;

Yamano and Tanaka 1983; Wei et al 1983; Tuerk and

Weir 1971; Strauch et al 1983; Schulman 1973; Jordan

and Gilbert 1988; Heymann et al 1977; Henriksson et

al 1982; Evins et al 1977; Einarsson et al 1983;

Gold-stein 1978; Szasz et al 1990; Peterson 1992; Zenn et al

2000; Darewics et al 2001; Yeniyol et al 2002) After croreplantation, the patient can be expected to be leftwith a penis that is cosmetically very normal in appear-ance and function, with almost undetectable abnor-malities, if any

pe-Bhanganada K, Chayavatana T, Pongnumkul C et al (1983) gical management of an epidemic of penis amputations in Siam Am J Surg 146:376

Sur-Blacker KH, Wong N (1963) Four cases of autocastration Arch Gen Psychiatry 8:189

Carroll PR, Leu TF, Schmidt RA et al (1985) Penile tion: current concepts J Urol 133:281

replanta-Clark RA (1981) Self-mutilation accompanying religious sion: a case report and review J Clin Psychiatry 42:243 Cohen BE, May JW, Daly JS et al (1977) Successful clinical re- plantation of an amputated penis by microneurovascular re- pair Plast Reconstr Surg 59:276

delu-Culliford L (1987) Autocastration and biblical delusions in schizophrenia (letter) Br J Psychiatry 150:407

Darewicz B, Galek L, Darewicz J, Kudelski J, Malczyk E (2001) Successful microsurgical replantation of an amputated pe- nis Int Urol Nephrol 33:385

Ehrich WS (1929) Two unusual penile injuries J Urol 21:239 Einarsson G, Goldstein M, Laungani G (1983) Penile replanta- tion Urology 22:404

Evins SC, Whittle T, Rous SN (1977) Self-emasculation: review

of the literature, report of a case and outline of the objectives

of management J Urol 188:775 Goldstein M (1978) Microsurgical reimplantation of amputat-

ed penis Urol 12:237 Greilsheimer H, Groves JE (1979) Male genital self-mutilation Arch Gen Psychiatry 36:441

Hall DC, Lawson BX, Wilson LG (1981) Command tions and self-amputation of the penis and hand during a first psychotic break J Clin Psychiatry 42:322

hallucina-Hashem FK, Ahmed S, al-Malaq AA, AbuDaia JM (1999) cessful replantation of penile amputation (post-circumci- sion) complicated by prolonged ischaemia Br J Plast Surg 52:308

Suc-Hayhurst JW, O’Brien BM, Ishida H et al (1974) Experimental digital replantation after prolonged cooling Hand 6:143 Henriksson TG, Hahne B, Hakelius S et al (1982) Microsurgical replantation of an amputated penis Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Suppl 19:75

Heymann AD, Bell-Thomson J, Rathod DM et al (1977) cessful reimplantation of the penis using microvascular techniques J Urol 118:879

Suc-Izzidien AY (1981) Successful replantation of a traumatically amputated penis in a neonate J Pediatr Surg 16:202 Jezior JR, Brady JD, Schlossberg SM (2001) Management of pe- nile amputation injuries World J Surg 25:1602

Jordan GH, Gilbert DA (1988) Male genital trauma Clin Plast Surg 15:431

Kodos AB (1967) The vascular supply of the penis Arkh Anat Embriol 43:525

May JW Jr, Chait LA, O’Brien BM et al (1978) The no-reflow

phenomenon in experimental free flaps Plast Reconstr Surg

61:256

McRoberts JW, Chapman WH, Ansell JS (1968) Primary

anas-tomosis of the traumatically amputated penis: cast report

and summary of literature J Urol 100:751

Mosahebi A, Butterworth M, Knight R, Berger L, Kaisary A,

Butler PE (2001) Delayed penile replantation after

pro-longed warm ischemia Microsurgery 21:52

Neulander E, Walfisch S, Kaneti J (1996) Amputation of distal

penile glans during neonatal ritual circumcision – a rare

complication Br J Urol 77:924

Ozkan S, Gurpinar T (1997) A serious circumcision

complica-tion: penile shaft amputation and a new reattachment

tech-nique with a successful outcome J Urol 158:1946

Peterson NE (1992) Repair of a traumatically amputated penis

with return of erectile function J Urol 147:1628

Quartey JKM (1983) One-stage penile/preputial cutaneous

is-land flap urethroplasty for urethral stricture : a preliminary

report J Urol 129:284

Schweitzer I (1990) Genital self-amputation and the Klingsor

syndrome Aust N Z J Psychiatry 24:566

Schulman ML (1973) Reanastomosis of the amputated penis J

Urol 109:432

Silfen R, Hudson DA, McCulley S (2000) Penile lengthening for

traumatic penile amputation due to ritual circumcision: a

case report Ann Plast Surg 44:311

Strauch B, Sharzer LA, Petro J et al (1983) Replantation of

am-putated parts of the penis, nose, ear, and scalp Clin Plast Surg 10:115

Stewart DE, Lowery MR (1980) Replantation surgery following self-inflicted amputation Can J Psychiatry 25:143

Strimling BS (1996) Partial amputation of glans penis during Mogen clamp circumcision Pediatrics 97:906

Szasz G, McLoughlin MG, Warren RJ (1990) Return of sexual functioning following penile replant surgery Arch Sex Be- hav 19343

Tamai S, Nakamura Y, Motomiya Y (1977) Microsurgical plantation of a completely amputated penis and scrotum Plast Reconstr Surg 60:287

re-Tuerk M, Weir WH Jr (1971) Successful replantation of a matically amputated glans penis Plast Reconstr Surg 48:499 Waugh AC (1986) Autocastration and biblical delusions in schizophrenia Br J Psychiatry 149:656

trau-Wei FC, McKee NH, Huerta FJ et al (1983) Microsurgical plantation of a completely amputated penis Ann Plast Surg 20:317

re-Yamano Y, Tanaka H (1984) Replantation of a completely putated penis by the microsurgical technique: A case report Microsurgery 5:40

am-Yeniyol CO, Yener H, Kececi Y, Ayder AR (2002) Microvascular replantation of a self-amputated penis Int Urol Nephrol 33:117

Zenn MR, Carson CC 3 rd , Patel MP (2000) Replantation of the penis: a patient report Ann Plast Surg 44:214

References 275

Posterior urethra

prostatic +membranous

Anterior urethra

bulbar +penile

L Mart´ınez-Pi ˜neiro

15.9.1 Anatomical and Etiological Considerations

276 15.9.1.1 Posterior Urethral Injuries 276

Stable Pelvic Fracture 277 Unstable Pelvic Fractures 277 Urethral Injuries in Children 278 Urethral Injuries in Women 278 Penetrating Injuries to the Perineum 279 15.9.1.2 Anterior Urethral Injuries 279

Blunt Trauma 279 Intercourse-Related Trauma 279 Penetrating Trauma 280 Constriction Band-Related Trauma 280 Iatrogenic Trauma 280

15.9.2 Diagnosis: Initial Emergency Assessment 282

Partial Urethral Rupture 287 Complete Urethral Rupture 287 Primary Realignment 287 Immediate Open Urethroplasty (< 48 h After Injury) 289

Delayed Primary Urethroplasty (2 – 14 Days After Injury) 290

Delayed Urethroplasty (3 – 6 Months After Trauma) 290

Reconstruction of Failed Repair of Posterior Urethral Rupture 292

Delayed Endoscopic Optical Incision 292

15.9.4 Recommendations for Treatment: Algorithms

293

References 295

15.9.1

Anatomical and Etiological Considerations

The male urethra is divided into the anterior and

poste-rior sections by the urogenital diaphragm The

posteri-or urethra consists of the prostatic and the

membra-nous urethra (Fig 15.9.1) The anterior urethra consists

of the bulbar and penile urethra Only the posterior

urethra exists in the female; the anterior urethra

corre-Fig 15.9.1 Anatomy of the male urethra (© Hohenfellner 2007)

sponds to the labia minora, which results from tent separation of the urethral folds on the ventral sur-faces of the genital tubercle

persis-15.9.1.1 Posterior Urethral Injuries

Injuries to the posterior urethra occur with pelvic tures, which are commonly caused by road traffic acci-dents, crush injuries, or falls from height Approxi-mately two-thirds (70 %) of pelvic fractures occur as aresult of motor vehicle accidents, with an incidence of

frac-20 % in fatal motor accidents, as a driver or passenger,and nearly 50 % in fatal pedestrian accidents Twenty-five per cent of cases present as a result of a fall from aheight (Koraitim et al 1996; Sevitt 1968) Altogether,blunt trauma accounts for more than 90 % of urethralinjuries (Dixon 1996) Overall, the male posterior ure-thra is concomitantly injured in approximately3.5 % – 19 % and the female urethra in 0 % – 6 % of all

pelvic fractures (Carlin and Resnick 1995; Clark and

Prudencio 1972; Colapinto 1980; Hemal et al 2000;

Ko-raitim et al 1996; Lowe et al 1988; Palmer et al 1983;

Perry and Husmann 1992; Pokorny et al 1978; Webster

et al 1983) The female urethra is rarely injured, except

by contusion or laceration by bone fragments

Specifically with a crush or deceleration impact

in-jury, the severe shearing forces necessary to fracture

the pelvis are transmitted to the prostatomembranous

junction, resulting in disruption of the prostate from its

connection to the anterior urethra at the prostatic apex

Retrograde urethrography and magnetic resonance

imaging have been correlated with this location of the

injury (Colapinto and McCallum 1977; Dixon et al

1992) Recent cadaveric anatomic studies suggest that

in most cases the membranous urethra is torn distally

to the urogenital diaphragm (Mouraview and Santucci

2005)

Accurate knowledge of the functional anatomy of

the sphincter mechanism is essential to the success of

posterior urethral surgery The feasibility of

anasto-motic reconstruction of subprostatic pelvic fracture

urethral distraction defects depends upon the

indepen-dent function of the proximal bladder neck and of the

distal urethral sphincter mechanism, each of which is

competent and independently capable of maintaining

continence in the absence of the other

(Turner-War-wick 1973)

In order to accurately diagnose and treat pelvic ring

disruptions, the surgeon must have a concept of pelvic

stability, which should be determined in both the

hori-zontal and vertical planes A mechanically stable pelvis

is defined as one that can withstand normal

physiologi-cal forces without abnormal deformation (Tile and

Pennal 1980) The degree of instability is best indicated

by the disruption and posterior displacement at the

sa-croiliac area and is of extreme importance as a

prog-nostic indicator for the general resuscitation of the

pa-tient (Pennal et al 1980) The anteroposterior and

later-al compression types of fracture, while vastly different,

may be associated with both stable and unstable

sub-types

The vertical shear fracture is always unstable The

latter described by Malgaigne in 1855 consists of a

frac-ture anteriorly through both rami of the symphysis

pu-bis, in association with massive posterior disruption,

either through the sacrum, the sacroiliac joint, or the

il-ium

Stable Pelvic Fracture

In a stable pelvic fracture, urethral disruption can

oc-cur when the large external force, which has fractured

two or all four pelvic rami (straddle fracture), propels

the resultant butterfly fragment backward together

with the prostate, which is fixed to the back of the pubic

Fig 15.9.2 Example of stable pelvic fracture Both pubic rami

of the left side are fractured A mechanically stable pelvis is fined as one that can withstand normal physiological forces without abnormal deformation

de-bone (Fig 15.9.2) The shearing force that results rupts the membranous urethra, as it passes through theperineum and inevitably destroys the distal urethralsphincter mechanism in almost all such cases

dis-Unstable Pelvic Fractures

Unstable fractures that involve the anterior part of thepubic ring and the sacroiliac joint, ileum, or sacrumcan also cause injuries to the posterior urethra, either

as a result of tears by bony fractures or, more

common-ly, as a result of disruptions of the urethra caused bydistortions of the bony pelvis during major trauma

This distortion is thought to result in lateral ing forces, acting on the membranous urethra, as thepuboprostatic ligaments and the membranous urethralarea are pulled in opposite directions (Pokorny et al.1978) Unstable diametric pelvic fractures (Conolly andHedbert 1969; Devine and Devine 1982; Flaherty et al.1968; Palmer et al 1983; Pokorny et al 1978) or bilateralischiopubic rami fractures have the highest likelihood

shear-of injuring the posterior urethra In particular, thecombination of straddle fractures with diastasis of thesacroiliac joint has the highest risk of urethral injury;the odds ratio is about seven times higher than forstraddle or Malgaigne fractures (Table 15.9.1) (Fig.15.9.3) (Koraitim et al 1996)

Lower urinary tract injury has been reported inabout 16 % of patients with unilateral rami fractures,but in 41 % of patients with bilateral rami fractures(Zorn 1960) Anteroposterior compression injuriesfrom frontal crushes produce more severe pelvic frac-tures, major retroperitoneal bleeding, and more fre-quent injury to the lower urinary tract than do lateralcrashes (Siegel et al 1990)

15.9 Urethral Trauma 277

Table 15.9.1 Odds ratio of urethral injury with different types

Straddle plus sacroiliac 24.02

Fig 15.9.3 Example of unstable pelvic fracture Unstable

frac-tures involve the anterior part of the pubic ring and the

sacroil-iac joint, ileum, or sacrum

Prostatomembranous urethral injuries can vary

from simple stretching (25 %) to partial rupture (25 %)

or complete disruptions (50 %) (Koraitim et al 1996)

The more severe injuries result in prostatourethral

dis-placement, with progressive scar formation

encom-passing the rupture defect The incidence of double

in-juries involving the urethra and the bladder ranges

be-tween 10 % and 20 % of males, and may be

intraperito-neal (17 % – 39 %) or extraperitointraperito-neal (56 % – 78 %), or

both (Carlin and Resnick 1995; Koraitim et al 1996)

Urethral injuries, by themselves, are never

life-threat-ening, except as a consequence of their close association

with pelvic fractures and multiple organ injuries, which

occur in about 27 % of cases Initially, the assessment

and management of other associated injuries are usually

far more important than the assessment and

manage-ment of the urethral injury (Chapple and Png 1999)

Colapinto and McCallum (1977) classified posterior

urethral injuries on the basis of radiographic

appear-ance into three types, depending on the integrity of the

membranous urethra and extension of the disruption

into the bulbar and membranous urethra The

Ameri-can Association for Surgery of Trauma (AAST) later

proposed the classification given in Table 15.9.2

Table 15.9.2 Organ injury scaling III classification of urethral

injuries

Type Description Appearance

I Contusion Blood at the urethral meatus; normal

urethrogram

II Stretch injury

Elongation of the urethra without extravasation on urethrography

III Partial disruption

Extravasation of contrast at injury site with contrast visualized in the blad- der

IV Complete disruption

Extravasation of contrast at injury site without visualization in the bladder;

ure-From Moore et al 1992

Table 15.9.3 presents a summary of the different types

of blunt trauma of the posterior and anterior urethra,along with their radiographic appearance and differenttreatment alternatives

Urethral Injuries in Children

Urethral injuries in children tend to follow the samemechanism of injury as in adults The only significantdifference is that straddle pelvic fractures, Malgaigne’sfractures, or the association of straddle plus sacroiliacjoint fracture are more common in children than inadults In addition, posterior urethral injuries can in-volve the prostatic urethra and the bladder neck, as well

as the membranous urethra The tear is often in theprostatic urethra or at the bladder neck because of therudimentary nature of the prostate and is more likely to

be a complete rupture (69 % vs 42 %) Urethral ing is less common than in adults It has been shownthat the more proximal the injury, the greater the risk ofincontinence, impotence, and stricture formation inthe long term (Chapple and Png 1999; Koraitim 1997,1999; Koraitim et al 1996)

stretch-Urethral Injuries in Women

These are rare events since the female urethra is shortand mobile, without any significant attachments to thepubic bone They usually occur in children and are ac-companied by severe pelvic fractures, where bony frag-ments of the fractured pelvis provoke lacerations of theurethra, frequently extending into the bladder neck orvagina, and disrupting the normal continence mecha-nism (Hemal et al 2000; Perry and Husmann 1992) In-jury to the female urethra is usually a partial tear of theanterior wall and is rarely a complete disruption of theproximal or distal urethra (Koraitim 1999)

Table 15.9.3 Different types

of blunt trauma of the

poste-rior and anteposte-rior urethra,

their radiographic

appear-ance and different treatment

supra-III Partial disruption of anterior or posterior

ure-thra Extravasation of contrast at injury site with contrast visualized in the proximal ure- thra or bladder

Conservative management with pubic cystostomy or urethral catheter- ization

supra-IV Complete disruption of anterior urethra

Ex-travasation of contrast at injury site without visualization of proximal urethra or bladder

Conservative management with pubic cystostomy Open or endoscopic treatment, primary or delayed

supra-V Complete disruption of posterior urethra travasation of contrast at injury site without visualization of bladder

Ex-Conservative management with pubic cystostomy Open or endoscopic treatment, primary or delayed

supra-VI Complete or partial disruption of posterior

urethra with associated tear of the bladder neck or vagina

Primary open repair

Penetrating Injuries to the Perineum

These can occur involving the urethra, as well as being

iatrogenic injuries caused by endoscopic

instrumenta-tion or during surgery for vaginal repair In developing

countries, urethral and bladder neck damage occur

quite often as a result of ischemic injury during

ob-structed labor

15.9.1.2

Anterior Urethral Injuries

Anterior urethral injuries result from blunt trauma

more frequently than from penetrating trauma

(Ta-ble 15.9.4)

Blunt Trauma

Most anterior urethral injuries are caused by vehicular

accidents, falls, or blows; in contrast to posterior

ure-thral trauma, they are rarely associated with pelvic

fractures They are usually straddle-type injuries

caused by blows of blunt objects against the perineum,

such as bicycle handlebars or the top of a fence In this

type of accident, the relatively immobile bulbar urethra

is trapped and compressed by a direct force on it

against the inferior surface of the symphysis pubis

These injuries are more common in children than

adults (Koraitim 1997)

Intercourse-Related Trauma

Another less frequent cause of blunt anterior urethral

trauma occurs in association with ruptures of the

cor-pora cavernosa, which usually occur with an erect

pe-Table 15.9.4 Etiology of anterior urethral injuries Causes

Blunt trauma

Vehicular accidents Fall astride Kicks in the perineum Blows in the perineum from bicycle handlebars, tops of fences, etc.

Sexual intercourse

Penile fractures Urethral intraluminal stimulation Constriction bands

Penetrating trauma

Gunshot wounds Stab wounds Dog bites External impalement Penile amputations

Constriction bands

Paraplegia

Iatrogenic injuries

Endoscopic instrumentations Urethral catheters, dilators

nis, often during intercourse (Fig 15.9.4) In these ries, the urethra is involved in 20 % of the cases (Nico-laisen et al 1983) Intraluminal stimulation of the ure-thra with foreign objects has also been reported tocause anterior urethral trauma Most are short and in-complete and occur in the distal penile urethra Sur-gery is rarely indicated and depends on the degree andextent of injury to the urethra

inju-15.9 Urethral Trauma 279

a b

Fig 15.9.4 a Typical aspect of genitalia after rupture of corpora cavernosa during sexual intercourse b In 20 % of the cases, the

urethra is involved, suffering partial or complete rupture

Fig 15.9.5a, b Gunshot wound to the genitalia Penile urethra was involved with only a few pellets and was managed conservatively

Penetrating Trauma

Penetrating injuries to the anterior urethra usually

oc-cur from gunshot wounds and involve the pendulous

and bulbar urethral segments equally; these injuries

are often found with penetrating penile or testicular

trauma, depending on the missile tract (Figs 15.9.5,

15.9.6) These can involve the rectum, which may result

in pelvic abscesses and fistulae formation.(Gomez et al

1993; Pontes and Pierce 1978) Other less frequent

causes of external anterior urethral injuries include

stab wounds, animal bites (Fig 15.9.7), penile

amputa-tion, and external impalement

Constriction Band-Related Trauma

Individuals with paraplegia, who use a constriction vice for urinary incontinence and forget to release theband due to the lack of sensation, can cause severe is-chemic injuries involving the penis and urethra(Fig 15.9.8)

de-Iatrogenic Trauma

Iatrogenic urethral injuries caused by instrumentationare by far the most common cause of urethral trauma.Urethral ischemic injuries related to cardiac bypassprocedures are not infrequent and can result in longand fibrotic strictures

a b

c

Fig 15.9.6a–c Gunshot wound to the penis The bullet went

through the corpora cavernosa, superficially damaged the thral spongy tissue, and ended in the subcutaneous tissue of

ure-the right thigh Urethroplasty was not required a and b Show external aspect at admission c CT scan showing bullet in the

posterior aspect of the right thigh (Courtesy of Dr J.J Tello)

L´opez-a

b

Fig 15.9.8a, b Ischemic necrosis of penis due to plastic

con-striction device (neck of a plastic bottle) used to improve tions (Courtesy of Dr S Luengo)

Fig 15.9.7 Dog bite with urethral laceration at the penoscrotal

angle that required immediate open repair.

15.9 Urethral Trauma 281

Diagnosis: Initial Emergency Assessment

15.9.2.1

Clinical Assessment

The initial management of all urethral injuries is

resus-citation of the patient as a result of associated possibly

life-threatening injuries In the absence of blood at the

meatus or hematoma, a urological injury is very

un-likely and will be rapidly excluded by catheterization

that promptly occurs in all major trauma victims as

part of the process of resuscitation Airway and

respira-tory function are maintained, the cervical spine

se-cured in case of polytraumatism, and excessive

hemor-rhage addressed This is particularly important in

pos-terior urethral injuries because of their close

associa-tion with pelvic fractures

The next step includes taking a complete history and

carrying out physical, laboratory, and radiographic

evaluations in order to identify all injuries accurately A

diagnosis of acute urethral trauma should be suspected

from the history A pelvic fracture, or any external

pe-nile or perineal trauma, can be suggestive of urethral

trauma (Armenakas and McAninch 1994, 1996)

For penetrating injuries, the type of weapon used,

including the caliber of the bullet with gunshot

wounds, is helpful in assessing potential tissue damage

In the conscious patient, a thorough voiding history

should be obtained to establish the time of last

urina-tion, force of urinary stream, painful urinaurina-tion, and

presence of hematuria The following clinical

indica-tors of acute urethral trauma warrant a complete

ure-thral evaluation:

) Blood at the meatus

Blood at the meatus is present in 37 % – 93 % of

patients with posterior urethral injury and at least

75 % of patients with anterior urethral trauma

(Lim and Chng 1989; McAninch 1981) Its presence

should preclude any attempts at urethral

instrumen-tation, until the entire urethra is adequately imaged

In an unstable patient, an attempt can be made to

pass a urethral catheter, but if there is any difficulty

a suprapubic catheter is inserted and a retrograde

urethrogram performed when appropriate It is

extremely unlikely that gentle passage of a urethral

catheter will do any additional damage to that

caused by a fracture of the pelvis (Mundy 1996;

Venn and Mundy 1998), although it has been

sug-gested that this may convert a partial tear into one

that is complete (Corriere and Harris 1981) There

are no convincing data indicating a higher rate of

infection or urethral stricture after a single attempt

at catheterization (Dixon 1996) Indeed, if a urethral

injury is suspected, urethrography prior to

attempt-ed catheterization is the most prudent approach

) Blood at the vaginal introitusBlood at the vaginal introitus is present in morethan 80 % of female patients with pelvic fracturesand co-existing urethral injuries (Perry and Hus-mann 1992)

) HematuriaAlthough nonspecific, hematuria on a first voidedspecimen may indicate urethral injury The amount

of urethral bleeding correlates poorly with theseverity of injury, as a mucosal contusion or smallpartial tear may be accompanied by copious bleed-ing, while total transection of the urethra may re-sult in little bleeding (Antoci and Schiff 1982)

) Pain on urination or inability to voidThe inability to void suggests urethral disruption

) Hematoma or swellingWith anterior urethral trauma, the pattern of thehematoma can be useful in identifying the anatom-ical boundaries violated by the injury Extravasa-tion of blood or urine in a sleeve distribution alongthe penile shaft indicates that the injury is confined

by Buck’s fascia Disruption of Buck’s fascia results

in a pattern of extravasation limited only by Collesfascia, extending therefore up to the coracoclavicu-lar fascia superiorly and the fascia lata inferiorly(Fig 15.9.9) This results in a characteristic butter-fly pattern of bruising in the perineum In femalepatients with severe pelvic fractures, the presence

a

b

Fig 15.9.9a, b Large genital hematoma limited by Colles fascia

of labial swelling may be an indicator of urethral

injury It can be caused by urinary extravasation

from a urethral fistula and warrants immediate

attention

) High-riding prostate

This is a relatively unreliable finding in the acute

phase, since the pelvic hematoma associated with

pelvic fractures often precludes the adequate

pal-pation of a small prostate, particularly in younger

men (Dixon 1996) A boggy mass is usually

palpat-ed without recognition of a prostate gland (Fallon

et al 1984) Rectal examination is more important

as a tool to screen for rectal injuries, which can

be associated with pelvic fractures Blood on the

examination finger is highly suggestive of such an

injury Assessment of concomitant genital injuries

is mandatory in every case of external urethral

trauma as well

15.9.2.2

Radiographic Examination

Retrograde urethrography is considered the gold

stan-dard for evaluating urethral injury A scout film should

be taken first to assess the radiographic technique and

to detect pelvic fractures, as well as the presence of any

foreign bodies such as bullets or stones, which may not

be delineated once the contrast material has been

giv-en This is taken using a 12- or 14-F Foley catheter in

the fossa navicularis, with the balloon inflated using

1 – 2 ml of saline to occlude the urethra Then, 20 – 30 ml

of undiluted contrast material is injected and films

tak-en during the injection in a 30°oblique position Whtak-en

severe pelvic fractures and associated patient

discom-fort are present, the oblique position may not always be

possible Radiographic appearance of the urethra

per-mits classification of the injury and facilitates

subse-quent management

If posterior urethral injury is suspected, a

suprapu-bic catheter is inserted; a simultaneous cystogram and

ascending urethrogram can be carried out at a later

date to assess the site, severity, and length of the

ure-thral injury This is usually done within 1 week of

inju-ry, if primary repair is contemplated, or after 3 months

if a delayed or late repair is considered (Fig 15.9.10)

When the proximal urethra is not visualized in a

si-multaneous cystogram and urethrogram, either

mag-netic resonance imaging (MRI) of the posterior urethra

(McAninch 1996) or endoscopy through the

suprapu-bic tract can be used (Fig 15.9.11) to define the

anato-my of the posterior urethra Since manipulation in the

bladder can cause the bladder neck to open and give the

false impression of incompetence; consequently, the

endoscopic appearance of the bladder neck should be

noted immediately on placing the scope into the

blad-der (Jordan 1996)

Fig 15.9.10 Combined micturition and retrograde

urethrogra-phy to asses the length of the distraction defect after posterior urethral fracture

Fig 15.9.11 After filling the bladder through the suprapubic

tube with contrast material, the patient was asked to urinate, but the prostatic urethra was not filled up with contrast A con- ventional cystoscope was introduced through the suprapubic tract, the bladder neck inspected and the posterior urethra filled by means of a ureteral catheter introduced into the pros- tatic urethra This can be done also with a flexible cystoscope

After assessing the endoscopic appearance of the der neck, the flexible endoscope can be advancedthrough the bladder neck into the posterior urethra tothe level of obstruction If there is a question regardingthe length of the distraction, a simultaneous retrograde

blad-15.9 Urethral Trauma 283