Penile abscess is a rare condition. It presents as a red, hot, tender, and painful nodule on the shaft of the penis, frequently associated with edema of the foreskin. In addition to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli may cause penile abscesses. In immunosuppressed individuals, uncommon bacteria such as Staphylococcus lugdunensis may be the causative organisms. In these cases, the lesion may be small with little inflammation and only slight tenderness or pain. Foreign substances, such as lipid injection to enhance penile girth, may also cause abscesses.

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) first emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in the 1960s. In more recent years, community-acquired outbreaks of MRSA (CA-MRSA) have been described increasingly among healthy individuals lacking the traditional risk factors for such infections (intravenous [IV] drug use, incarceration, participation in contact sports, etc). These strains have a propensity for causing abscesses, furunculosis, and folliculitis and have a unique antibiotic susceptibility profile from health care associated strains of MRSA.

It has been shown that the majority of purulent skin and soft tissue infections presenting to emergency rooms across the United States are caused by CA-MRSA.