Gonococcal infections of the penile skin and accessory glands in men: high-frequency ultrasound features and their clinical significance / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate ultrasonographic manifestations of gonococcal infections of the penile skin and accessory glands in men, and to assess their clinical significance.Methods:From January 2014 to January 2021, male patients with gonococcal infections of the penile skin and accessory glands were collected from Department of Dermatology, Changshu No.1 People′s Hospital. The diagnosis had been confirmed by laboratory examinations, and these patients had not received relevant treatment. The real-time ultrasound imaging system SIEMENS ACUSON X300 was used to examine the penile skin and accessory gland lesions infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with the probe frequency ranging from 7.5 to 15 MHz. Patients with tubular anechoic fluid-filled areas on the high-frequency ultrasound images received a single dose of intramuscular ceftriaxone (1 g) ; those with oval-shaped anechoic fluid-filled areas on the high-frequency ultrasound images received incision and drainage followed by intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone at a dose of 1 g once a day for 5 consecutive days; those with hypoechoic or mixed echoic areas on the high-frequency ultrasound images received intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone at a dose of 1 g once a day for 5 consecutive days, and if the nodules did not regress after 1-month treatment, local resection would be performed. One month after the treatment, the patients were followed up, and the efficacy was evaluated. Results:A total of 32 male patients with gonococcal infections of the penile skin and accessory glands were collected. They were aged 28.54 ± 3.27 years, all had a history of non-marital sexual contact, and the duration from non-marital sexual contact to the onset of symptoms was 4.45 ± 1.03 days. The disease course was 8.64 ± 1.87 days. Lesions were all solitary, and located at the external urethral meatus in 16 cases (50.00%) , at the glans penis in 7 cases (21.88%) , beside the foreskin frenulum in 5 cases (15.62%) , and at the penile raphe in 4 cases (12.50%) . Sixteen patients (50.00%) presented with sinus-like lesions, 9 (28.13%) with abscesses, 7 (21.87%) with nodules, and all had tenderness on palpation. High-frequency ultrasound examination showed tubular anechoic fluid-filled areas in 16 cases (50.00%) , oval-shaped anechoic fluid-filled areas in 7 cases (21.88%) , hypoechoic areas in 5 cases (15.62%) , and mixed echoic areas in 4 cases (12.50%) . Gonococcal infections involved the cavernous body of the urethra in 16 cases (50.00%) , cavernous body of the penis in 5 cases (15.62%) , and subcutaneous tissue of the penis in 11 cases (34.38%) . After the treatment, all the patients were cured.Conclusion:High-frequency ultrasound can be used in the assessment of skin lesions and selection of treatment regimens for male patients with gonococcal infections of the penile skin and accessory glands.