Penile / parapenile hematoma / trauma / abscess in Cows (Bovis) | Vetlexicon
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Penile / parapenile hematoma / trauma / abscess

ISSN 2398-2993


Synonym(s): Penis fracture, Broken penis

Introduction

  • Cause: rupture of the tunica albuginea at pressures >14000 mmHg.
  • Signs: symmetrical swelling dorsal to the penis near the scrotal neck.
  • Diagnosis: based on clinical signs +/- ultrasonography.
  • Treatment:
    • Salvage for slaughter.
    • Medical:
      • Broad spectrum antibiotics.
      • NSAIDs.
      • Cold hosing.
      • Sexual rest 60-90 days.
    • Surgical: evacuate clot and repair rupture in tunica.
  • Prognosis: 50% recovery.

Presenting signs

  • Symmetrical swelling dorsal to the penis near the scrotal neck .
  • Mild discomfort +/- unwillingness to mount Bull: lack of libido.

Age predisposition

  • Younger (inexperienced) bulls.
  • Older bulls with joint problems.

Breed/species predisposition

  • Hereford bulls Hereford were over-represented in one study.

Cost considerations

  • Surgical intervention will increase the likelihood of preserving future breeding.
  • However, in a non-valuable breeding bull, it may be prudent to consider a salvage procedure for slaughter Phallectomy.

Special risks

  • Surgical management requires either general anesthesia Anesthetizing cattle or heavy sedation Sedating cattle, thus a risk analysis should be done, ie underlying conditions could complicate the anesthetic.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

  • Initial trauma, eg cow going down during mating or penis hits perineum at full erection. This causes a rupture in the tunica albuginea :
    • At insertion of the retractor penis muscle on dorsal aspect of the distal sigmoid flexure. The swelling may extend caudally along the retractor penis muscles.
    • 150-250 ml blood is present in an erect penis, however, this amount will increase with repeated sexual stimulation.

Predisposing factors

General

  • Age.
  • Stage of breeding season:
    • Early = lots of cows in heat.
    • Late = bulls fatigued or in low body condition score.
  • Size disparity between bull and females, ie small bull mating females of greater stature.

Pathophysiology

  • Subsequent preputial edema can lead to preputial/penile prolapse.
    • Preputial prolapse can persist for one week in Bos taurus bulls and >2 weeks in Bos indicus bulls.
  • If a penile hematoma becomes infected, it can lead to abscessation in 60% of cases.
  • The inflammation can result in adhesions forming within the preputial cavity.
  • Vascular shunts can be a sequelae; meaning that even with repair of the primary injury, full erection may not be able to be achieved subsequently.
  • If there is damage to the dorsal nerves, this will result in a loss of sensation to the distal penis meaning a bull will no longer be able to breed naturally.

Timecourse

  • Depending on when the swelling is noticed, can influence the method of treatment, ie:
    • Medical treatment should be used for long-standing cases.
    • Surgical management should be within 5-7 days of the initial trauma to prevent fibrosis and clot development.

Diagnosis

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Treatment

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Prevention

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Outcomes

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Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
  • Koziol J (2023) Practical review of diagnosis, treatment and prognostic indicators of acquired conditions of the penis and prepuce in the bull. Clin Theriogenol 15 (9642), 11-17 VetMedResource.
  • Ismail Z A B & Ababneh M (2007) Penile haematoma in a Shami buck. Can Vet J 48 (4), 433-434 PubMed.
  • Musser J M B, St-Jean G, Vestweber J G & Pejsa T G (1992) Penile haematoma in bulls: 60 cases (1979-1990). J Am Vet Med Assoc 201 (9), 1416-1418 PubMed.

Other sources of information

  • Hopper R M (2021) Bovine Reproduction. 2nd edn. Wiley Blackwell, USA.
  • Noakes D E, Parkinson T J & England G C W (2019) Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics. 10th edn. Saunders Ltd, UK.
  • Youngquist R S & Threlfall W R (2006) Current Therapy in Large Animal Theriogenology. 2nd edn. Saunders, USA.