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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: Idiopathic partial neuritis/neuropathy of penisForum: Neurology Forum
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Re: Idiopathic partial neuritis/neuropathy of penisPosted by CCF Neuro Md *!* on December 16, 1997 at 14:01:46: In Reply to: Idiopathic partial neuritis/neuropathy of penis posted by Dudley Saunders on December 16, 1997 at 00:47:07: : This has stymied two neurologists in a row: large sections of the skin on my penis have turned numb, other sections have limited sensation with only the loss of ability to feel cold and heat. Erectile function is unaffected, although difficult to maintain with the few remaining areas with full sensation. There are no substances I am in contact with that could be the cause, and the condition has been developing over a period of years. No diabetes, thyroid appears OK, no vitamin deficiencies. Do have HIV, but no-one has ever heard of this kind of HIV-related neuropathy. Likewise, there are no other areas of the body that are affected. Psychological somatism also appears unlikely. Has anyone out there come in contact with anything like this? Any other possibilities?
= There is a wide range of peripheral neuropathies described in association with HIV infection, and not all of them by any means fall into the typical diagnostic categories. I have discussed this with peripheral nerve specialists but none has seen your particular problem . I also performed a literature search on the Medline database and found one article which reported strikingly abnormal nerve conduction studies in the dorsal nerve of the penis in the context of HIV infection. The study does show therefore that a relatively selective form of neuropathy can affect the penile nerve supply , and although the entity is not well known it is possible that this is one of the rarer manifestations of HIV associated peripheral neuropathy. Incidentally there are reports also of the value of plasmapheresis in the treatment of HIV associated neuropathy, although not in this particular case, it might be worth mentioning to your physician however. This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
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