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What Is the Penoscrotal Angle?

The penoscrotal region, an umbrella term relating to the penis and scrotal regions, is an area in which patients can experience problems, but may be too embarrassed to come forward about them. One region in which a urologist might encounter a problem in the patient is in the penoscrotal angle. Fundamentally, this is the acute angle at which the base of the penis leaves the scrotal and curves down into the penile body.

  1. Penoscrotal Angle

    • The penoscrotal angle is the urological term for the defined space between the scrotum and the penis beyond its base. When examining this region, a urologist will check that there is a distinct gap between the main part of both the penis and the scrotal sack. If this gap becomes blocked or occluded, making it difficult to define the edge of the scrotum and the edge of the penis, this can be a sign of further trouble. The urethra, or urinary tube, is located on the underside of the body of the penis, so if the skin becomes bonded with that of the scrotum, it can cause problems.

    Webbed Penis

    • If the scrotal skin binds with the penis and obscures the penoscrotal angle, this can cause the penis to become webbed. This causes problems relating to experiences of acute pain during penile growth and erectile dysfunction. A surgeon would normally treat a condition of this type as early as possible with a circumcision of the bound-together skin. Failure to do this correctly can result in "buried penis syndrome," where the penis becomes buried by the excess skin. This can lead to problems with infection when the hair-growing skin is drawn onto the surface of the penis.

    Penoscrotal Transposition

    • A very rare disorder involving the penoscrotal angle is that of penoscrotal transposition. This occurs when the positions of the scrotum and the penis are partially or completely transposed, meaning the organs of the scrotal region become ordered back to front. This requires extensive surgery to correct involving a complete re-organization of the scrotal region and scrotoplasty, which is fundamentally a skin graft onto the scrotum or penis.

    Problems with Catheters

    • The penoscrotal angle can also cause problems for medical practitioners administering other treatments. A catheter is used to aid urinary discharge for patients with bladder problems or other internal complaints. In order for this treatment to be effective, the practitioner must insert a tube up the urethra inside the penis. If the tube becomes snagged or caught up at the penoscrotal angle, this can cause complications and possibly a dangerous infection. If necessary, a nurse or doctor may strap the penis laterally to the stomach of the patient and run a tube out to a receptacle on the floor. This minimizes the acuteness of the penoscrotal angle and negates any risk of infections.

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