Physicians find peculiar causes for painless ulcer on the penis

Ulcer on the penis: Cause of genital ulcer found in an elderly patient

In an ulcer on the penis doctors usually suspect a venereal disease as a cause. Doctors at the Department of Dermatology at Jena University Hospital also thought that the patient who had a scabby spot on his limb might be suffering from syphilis. But after a confession of the man, they found another explanation.

Enigmatic patient at the University Hospital Jena

There can be various causes for an ulcer on the penis. Among other things, sexually transmitted diseases can lead to the formation of a tumor on the male member. As a result, doctors at the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Jena have suggested that the patient who found themselves with a scabbed spot on his penis may be suffering from syphilis. But then they found another explanation.
A patient who went with an ulcer on the penis in the Department of Skin Diseases at the University Hospital Jena, the doctors headache. Only after several investigations, they found the cause of the swelling. (Image: ogerphoto / fotolia.com)

Inexplicable ulcer on the penis

"Spiegel Online" reported in a recent article about a 58-year-old patient who went to the clinic for skin diseases at the University Hospital Jena, since he had an ulcer on the penis for days.

The scabby swelling did not hurt him, but it scared him.

After a first examination, the doctors diagnosed a lymph node swelling in the groin area. The genital area otherwise appeared inconspicuous.

The HIV-positive man also has a hepatitis C infection and suffers from Crohn's disease. Due to the chronic inflammatory bowel disease he had been operated several times.

Furthermore, the patient stated that he had been infected years ago with a venereal disease, but that has completely healed after prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Patient admits drug use

According to his own information, he had no intercourse since his HIV diagnosis, neither with his wife nor with other people.

Nevertheless, the doctors around the dermatologist and hospital director Peter Elsner suspected a syphilis infection.

For the typical early onset symptoms of the disease, which is spreading rapidly in Germany, especially include lymphadenopathy and painless ulcers on the genitalia - as with the 58-year-olds.

When the doctors after further blood tests find that the patient had actually infected himself with syphilis, but the disease has overcome and also the search for a herpes infection remained fruitless, the doctors asked the man further questions about his sexual life.

He finally admitted that he had recently been to an anonymous sex party to have intercourse with men. There, they also experimented with drugs, including Crystal Meth.

Health hazards through fashion drug

The drug has spread in recent years in Germany more and more:

"In today's performance society, the use of methamphetamine - called due to the crystalline appearance of" Crystal Meth "- seems to increase," writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on its website.

"It promises to handle stress and pressure with ease, as well as to deliver more power in less time."

But especially in connection with the drug discovery in the Green Bundestag MP Volker Beck was increasingly enlightened on how health-endangering Crystal Meth in reality.

After intoxication, listlessness, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression often follow. Therefore, consumers often take additional drugs or increase the dose.

In addition, threatened by the fashion drug health problems such as palpitations, sweating, muscle spasms and dizziness and long-term physical effects such as brain damage, circulatory disorders, tooth loss, chronic skin inflammation ("Crystal Acne") or kidney and liver damage.

Particularly dangerous is the psychological dependence, which can lead to anxiety and panic attacks, hallucinations, eating disorders and an increased risk of suicide.

Patient wanted to avoid visible puncture site

Usually the drug is snorted as a powder. Some consumers swallow it as a tablet, smoke or inject it.

The patient of the Department of Skin Diseases at the University Hospital Jena injected the intoxicant. And in his penile shaft, because he feared that with an injection into the arm vein the puncture site was to be seen.

Shortly thereafter, his penis swelled and he had to go to the hospital. After diagnosis, his wound was cleaned daily with disinfecting substances and an ointment containing iodine. After two weeks, the ulcer was completely healed.

In the "Journal of the German Society of Dermatology" (JDDG) report the Jena experts about the unusual case.

The article "Genital ulcer on the penis of a 58-year-old HIV-positive patient after local injection of methamphetamine (Crystal Meth)" can be downloaded for a fee.

Sexual intercourse

According to "Spiegel Online" Peter Elsner said: "Chem sex is increasing significantly."

Sexual intercourse is associated with numerous health risks. So threatens about heart disorders and psychosis.

It is also dangerous when the substances are injected into the genitalia. "The motivation is the stimulation in the genital area," explained Elsner. "But since the substance has a central nervous effect, that should be a myth." (Ad)