[Symptomatic approach to chronic penile pain]

Abstract

Objective: To describe the aetiologies of non-cancer chronic penile pain.

Material and methods: A review of the literature was performed by searching the Medline database (National Library of Medicine). Search terms were either medical subject heading (MeSH) keywords (pain, penis, penile diseases) or terms derived from the title or abstract. Search terms were used alone or in combinations by using the "AND" operator. The literature search was conducted from 1990 to the present time.

Results: Clinical interview and physical examination are essential elements of the assessment of chronic penile pain. The aetiologies of chronic penile pain include local diseases, referred pain, neuropathic pain, psychological or psychiatric disorders and penile pain syndrome. Neuropathic pain is related to compression of the dorsal nerve of the penis, derived from the pudendal nerve, at the inferior border of the pubis. This nerve compression syndrome, often associated with cycling, can also be responsible for decreased sensitivity of the glans and penis, genital paraesthesia (numbness) and sometimes erectile dysfunction. Penile pain syndrome, defined as pain located in the penis, but not due to an urethral cause, documented infection or another clinically apparent disease, is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of non-cancer chronic penile pain is essentially clinical. Compression of the dorsal nerve of the penis is part of the context of penile pain syndrome, corresponding to a diagnosis of exclusion.