Penile Oleogranuloma: surgical management in Kazakhstan

Abstract Oleogranuloma of the penis is a complex set of pathological processes caused by the injection of a foreign substance (gel, balls, rods, etc.) into the penis with the purpose of penile augmentation. We investigated the relevance of this problem to Kazakhstan and described our experience in managing the complications. We analyzed data on 18 patients with penile self-injections admitted to the hospitals of Astana city, Kazakhstan during an 11-year period. The mean age of patients at admittance was 37.4 years. The most common substance of injection was vaseline (n=16, 88%). The mean interval between the time of injection and the first presentation to the hospital was 10.8 years. Complications included necrosis (n=13, 72.2%), pain or swelling (n=6, 33.3%), cosmetic dissatisfaction (n=5, 27.8%). All patients received surgical treatment (n=18, 100%): primary incision was performed for one half of patients (9, n=50%), while another half of patients underwent the Reich’s surgery (9, n=50%). Our data suggest that the prevalence of oleogranuloma in Kazakhstan is higher than it was previously admitted. The findings of this study should raise the awareness about the complications of penile self-injections among high-risk groups (e. g. prisoners) and physicians for prevention and early diagnosis, respectively.