Management of chronic urinary retention in glanular penile calciphylaxis

Urinary retention in penile calciphylaxis is a rare phenomenon due to its association with end-stage renal failure. A 48 year-old male was noted to have a lesion with necrotic appearances overlying his urethral meatus with increasing bladder volumes. He is on haemodialysis for end-stage renal failure and was being treated for infected calciphylaxis ulcers on his thigh. The current literature provides little guidance on managing urinary retention in this cohort of patients. We recommend that ultrasound-guided aspiration of the bladder should be performed in patients with glanular penile calciphylaxis who develop urinary retention as it offers a high safety profile.