Psychiatric Approach in Phantom Erection Postpenectomy Patient

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Urology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common post-amputation sensation.
• PLP can occur in various body parts, including the penis, manifesting as pain, erection, or urination.
• Penile amputation and reimplantation can lead to significant psychological distress.

Observation:

• A 35-year-old man experienced phantom penile erections and significant anxiety and depression post-penile amputation and reimplantation.
• The patient exhibited severe anxiety and moderate-to-severe depression during recovery.

Findings:

• A treatment regimen combining supportive psychotherapy, family psychoeducation, relaxation, marital therapy, and psychopharmacology (amitriptyline and clobazam) was initiated.
• Within 1.5 months, the patient showed improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms.

Implications:

• A multidisciplinary psychiatric approach is crucial for managing psychopathologic symptoms in amputated limb patients.
• Combined non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions can effectively alleviate psychological distress associated with phantom limb phenomena.
• Further large-scale studies are needed to validate psychiatric interventions for amputated limb patients with psychopathologic symptoms.