Deviation of the Penis (Phallocampsis) in Male Animals

The most common type of deviation of the Penis (phallocampsis) observed is the spinal or corkscrew deviation. Other types of deviations include ventral deviation, lateral deviation, S-shaped deviation, and dorsal deviation.

The penile deviation may be inherited. Affected bulls may successfully breed cows for one or more years.

When complete erection occurs the corpus cavernosum in the free end of the penis rolls inside the fibrous tunic and the penis slips and pushes laterally under the dorsal apical ligament and the glans penis spirals counterclockwise ventrally and to the tight around the line of penile raphae.

May be favoured by early maturation of the supporting structure of the penis and late maturation and growth of the penis under the continued influence of testosterone.

“Corkscrewing” of the penis occurs at the peak of erection when the layers covering the fee end the penis is stretched. If the erection is partial it does not occur.

In affected bulls premature full erection occurs prior to intromission resulting in corkscrewing that prevents completion of coitus.

Other less common types of the penis are the ventral or rainbow and the mild ‘S’ shaped curvatures.

Persistent frenulum is a band of tissue that extends from near the ventral tip of the glans penis to the prepuce.

Epithelial separation and rupture of frenulum occur normally a puberty.

When a persistence of the frenulum occurs there is usually a blood vessel present in the center of the tissue band comprising the frenulum.

There is evidence that this defect is hereditary.

Treatment

The corkscrew or ventral or mild ‘S’ shaped defects of the penis are corrected by surgical attempts.

Cutting of the connective tissue band with or without ligation is a simple procedure and is uniformly successful for the correction of persistent frenulum

Since deviations of the penis are mostly hereditary especially cork screwing, it is best to cull the affected animals.

Repair of Spiral and Ventral Penile Deviations

• Surgical repair of spiral deviations is much more successful than repair of ventral deviations.
• Two surgical techniques have been described for reinforcement of the apical ligament: apical ligament splitting and interweaving, and fascia lata autografting.
• Apical ligament splitting and interweaving may result in the formation of vascular shunts.
• In this technique, a longitudinal incision is made in the apical ligament followed by isolation of a 2-mm wide portion of the ligament on either side of the incision.
• This 2-mm segment remains attached at its proximal margin and is threaded onto a needle. The needle is passed through the tunica albuginea in a bootlace or interweaving pattern and the apical ligament anchored at the distal aspect of the penis.
• Surgical repair for either condition entails placing a fascia lata or synthetic graft between the apical ligament and the tunica albuginea of the penis.
• The graft serves as a lattice to strengthen and stabilize the apical ligament on the dorsum of the penis.
• A 2 cm wide, 20-cm long segment of fascia lata is obtained from the craniolateral aspect of the thigh.
• Then, the apical ligament is divided on dorsal midline to expose the tunica albuginea.
• The autograft is customized to the dorsal penis and sutured to the tunica albuginea using 2-0 PG-910 or chromic gut.
• The apical ligament is sutured closed and anchored to the autograft.
• Sexual rest for a minimum of 60 days is enforced for all surgeries of the prepuce and penis.