Case Report: Pain and Swelling of a Prince Albert Piercing

Patee, Allen MD; Farrah, Hillary MS-IV; Strony, Robert DO A 25-year-old man presented to the ED complaining of pain, swelling, and erythema of his glans penis. The patient reported that this developed after having a new bar penile piercing five days earlier. He had increased penile pain in his glans and swelling with painful bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy for three days. The pain made it difficult for him to walk, and he was concerned because he felt his urine stream was obstructed and spraying. The patient reported that each night he was wrapping his penis in toilet paper and then placing a condom over the toilet paper as directed by his piercing studio. Vital signs were within normal limits. Examination revealed erythema of the glans penis. Two piercings are present on the ventral surface near the base. A Prince Albert piercing with a ring was coming out of the urethral meatus on the ventral side. The new bar piercing travels transversely through the glans penis. Body piercing dates back to at least 3000 B.C. It is documented in wall carvings, paintings, and sculptures of the body. Some sources state body piercing may have originated with the Hindu religion, but it has been documented in tribal societies on all continents, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America. These piercings have represented rites of passage from adolescence to adulthood in some cultures. The Prince Albert, a penile ring through the urethral meatus that exits on the ventral surface, dates back...
Source: The Case Files - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: research