Cavernitis (cavemitis) is an inflammatory disease of the cavernous (cavernous) bodies of the penis. Refers to an infrequent pathology.
Cavernitis causes
The disease, as a rule, has a gonorrheal origin. The causative agent enters the cavernous bodies with pus and forms a limited or diffuse inflammatory process.
Cavernitis can develop due to:
- injuries of the penis with a rupture of one of the cavernous bodies;
- acute urethritis;
- any purulent-inflammatory disease (tonsillitis, osteomyelitis).
Varieties of cavernite
There are chronic (spongiositis) and acute forms of the disease, in which a limited or diffuse inflammatory process develops.
The main symptoms of cavernitis
With a cavity in one of the cavernous bodies, an inflammatory infiltrate appears, which is manifested by the appearance of a painful induration in the penis.
With an acute cavity, the disease begins acutely, suddenly. There is pain in the penis, which can be very pronounced. The penis increases, its skin becomes red, edematous. An erection that is not associated with sexual arousal may appear. At the same time, the patient has general symptoms of an inflammatory disease – headache, chills, weakness, increased body temperature.
If no therapeutic measures are taken, the infiltrate formed in the cavernous body can fester. In this case, an abscess of the cavernous body appears, which quickly breaks into the lumen of the urethra. As a result, scar tissue grows at the site of the abscess, and this leads to a curvature of the penis during erection, which can cause severe inconvenience or even make sexual intercourse unbelievable.
Chronic cavernitis occurs as a result of an undertreated acute process, but more often develops as a primary chronic process. It manifests itself in the form of a painless inflammatory formation of various lengths.
Cavernitis treatment
It is carried out necessarily in the hospital because of the risk of developing the described complications. Treatment of the underlying disease that led to the development of cavernitis, a course of antibiotic therapy. Additionally, products with a resolving effect are used. When the acute phase of inflammation passes, they resort to local thermal and physiotherapeutic procedures. If an abscess of the cavernous body has developed, it is opened and drained.
Prevention of cavernitis
It consists in the treatment of urethritis or any other inflammatory disease that may be complicated by the development of cavernitis. In case of injury to the penis, it will be necessary to conduct a course of antibiotic therapy, and during acute tonsillitis, pneumonia and any other inflammatory disease – listen carefully to your body, and at the slightest suspicion – contact a urologist