Doppler ultrasonography in a young patient with penile Mondor's disease

Mondor reported the first superficial venous thrombosis on the chest wall in 1939. This condition is usually a benign and self-limited process, requiring only symptomatic treatment. Mondor's disease of the penis is an uncommon condition, which usually involves the superficial dorsal veins, it was first described by Braun-Falco in 1955. Isolated superficial dorsal vein-thrombosis was reported in 1958 by Helm et al. Since then around fifty cases have been reported. Patients experience a cord or string-like induration along the penile superficial dorsal vein, which is often painful and accompanied by localized inflammatory changes. This condition is benign and self-limited in most patients with complete resolution after 6 to 8 weeks of conservative management although sometimes surgery is indicated when it is associated with chronic or severe local pain.

We report on a 23-year sold man with Mondor's disease of the penis following a normal sexual intercourse, who recently underwent microsurgical left varicocelectomy.

Treatment consisted in NSAID Aulin (100 mg orally twice a day for 3 weeks) Ciproxin (500 mg orally twice a day for 10 days), Reparil 1 x 3 orally for 25 days and Lansox 30 mg orally 1 per day for 21 days. The patient was advised to abstain from sexual intercourse or masturbation until the thrombosis had completely resolved. In the follow-up visit there was the complete resolution of the disease with no evidence of superficial dorsal vein thrombosis or palpable penile plaque 30 days later. The patient was also able to have sexual intercourse without problems.

Although penile Mondors' disease is rare, proper clinical diagnosis and consequent reassurance can help the patient to dissipate the anxiety and the following erectile dysfunction. Ultrasound and Doppler Ultrasonography examination was not useful for diagnosis but helped the clinician to show the patient that the disease is a benign condition.