A diabetic patient with a black penile tip

This is a report of a patient with diabetes mellitus type II who presented with the rare complication of penile gangrene. The gangrene was unilateral and was associated with ipsilateral partial stenosis of the common iliac artery. An angioplasty followed by insertion of a stent, rehydration, and improved diabetic control did not improve the penile lesion, and penile amputation was carried out. In the postoperative period, the patient developed a bilateral basal pneumonia with a significant growth of saprophyte Mycobacterium gordonae from the bronchial aspirate. This is the first reported case of unilateral penile gangrene and also that of Mycobacterium gordonae infection in a patient with diabetes mellitus. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.