Urology Flashcards
What is phimosis?
The inability to retract the foreskin over the glans
Incidence: 1% of non-circumcised population
What is physiological phimosis?
Phimosis that is normal up to adolescence
- 50% at 1 year
- 10% at 3 years
- 1% at 17 years
What are some of the consequences of phimosis?
- Poor hygeine - increased STDs
- Pain on intercourse - splitting/ bleeding of foreskin
- Balanitis (inflamed glans)
- Posthisis (inflamed foreskin/ prepuce)
- Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans (BXO)
- Parphimosis - when trying to retract forekin and it gets stuck
- Urinary retention
- Penile cancer
What is balanitis xerotica obliterans? (BXO)?
Whitening of the tip of the glans caused by scar tissue
Can cause urethral strictures
What is paraphimosis?
The painful constriction of the gland penis by the retracted prepuce
(retracted foreskin that can’t be pulled back)
What are the commonest causes of paraphimosis?
- Phimosis
- Catheterisation (esp in elderly) - the most common
- Penile cancer- if there’s a lump underneath
How is paraphimosis treated?
- Need reduction
- can be achieved manually under local anaesthetic
- Occasional a dorsal slit may be necessary
How common is penile cancer?
Rare- c. 350 cases/ year UK
What type of cancer is penile cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma
What are some risk factors for developing penile cancer?
- Phimosis - hygeine and smegma (build up of sebaceous secretion in folds of skin)
- HPV 16 & 18
What is the mortality of penile cancer if left untreated?
- Most die within 2 years
- Almost all within less than 5 years
What are some reasons for circumcision?
Peadiatric:
- Religious
- Recurrent balanitis/ UTI
Adult:
- Reccurrent balanitis
- Phimosis
- Recurrent paraphimosis
- Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans
- Penile cancer
What are some of the causes of acute scrotal pain?
- Testicular torsion
- Epididymtitis/ Orchitis (inflamed testes), epididymo-orchitis
- UTI
- STI
- Mumps (can be 1st presentation of mumps)
- Torsion of hydatid of Morgagni (top of testis)
- Trauma
- Uretetic Calculi (rare) - get referred pain to testicle
What is the typical history of testicular torsion?
- Usually a younger patient (<30 years)
- Sudden onset (e.g. woke from sleep)
- Unilateral pain
- May have nausea/ vomiting
What would you find on examination if someone presents with testicular torsion?
- Testis is very tender
- Lying high in the scromtum with horizonal lie
- Needs emergency scrotal exploration within 6 hours
What is epididymo-orchitis?
Epididymo-orchitis is an inflammation of the epididymis and/or testicle (testis) usually due to infection
What is the typical history of someone with epididymo-orchitis?
- Age:
- 20-40/50- STI (esp Chlaymdia)
- 40-50 - UTI (esp E.Coli)
- Gradual onset
- Usually unilateral
- Recent history of
- UTI
- Unprotected sex
- Catheter/ urethral instrumentation
- Check for mumps history
What might you find on examination of a patient with epididymo-orchitis?
- May be pyrexial (can be septic)
- Scrotum erythematous (red)
- Testis/ epididymis enlarged and tender
- Fluctuant areas (fluid filled) may represent abscess
- May have reactive hydrocele
- Rarely necrotic (Fournier’s Gangrene) - high mortality rate!
What investigations should you do if you suspect epididymo-orchitis?
- Bloods
- FBC, U&E, Cultures (if septic)
- Urine
- midstream specimen of urine for
- Radiology
- Scrotal ultrasound is suspected abscess
How do you treat epididymo-orchitis?
- Epididymo-orchitis: antibiotics
- Abscess: surgical drainage and antibiotics
- Fournier’s gangrene: emergency debridement and antibiotics
What key questions should you ask in the history of someone presenting with scrotal lumps?
- Is it painful?
- How quickly has it appeared?