Isolated injury to the left distal corpus cavernosum from a through-and-through penile gunshot wound

Abstract

We describe a case of an isolated injury to the left distal corpus cavernosum from a bullet involving the glans penis, an injury location not previously described in the literature. This case illustrates the importance of performing an artificial erection test during penile exploration and the focal nature of civilian gunshot wounds. If a bullet wound is obviously superficial to either the urethra or erectile bodies, conservative management is acceptable. While retrograde urethrogram or flexible cystoscopy is warranted to rule out urethral injury, immediate operative exploration is recommended in cases suspicious for corporal defects due to limitations of diagnostic testing. Keywords: Penile gunshot wound, Corpus cavernosal injury, Penile exploration, Artificial erection test