Phimosis

Phimosis is a topic covered in the 5-Minute Emergency Consult.

To view the entire topic, please or .

Emergency Central is a collection of disease, drug, and test information including 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult, Davis’s Drug, McGraw-Hill Medical’s Diagnosaurus®, Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests, and MEDLINE Journals created for emergency medicine professionals. Explore these free sample topics:

-- The first section of this topic is shown below --

Basics

Description

  • True phimosis is the pathologic inability to retract the foreskin over the glans of the penis as a result of scarring
  • The inability to retract a normal, supple foreskin is not true phimosis
  • The foreskin is rarely retractable at birth due to normal adhesions between the glans and the inner prepuce
  • ∼90% are retractable by 3 yr of age, and 99% are retractable by 17 yr, as the epithelial cells that comprise smegma are shed
  • Parents should be instructed not to forcibly retract the foreskin

Etiology

Possible causes of true phimosis include:
  • Trauma from forcible retraction of the foreskin
  • Repetitive bouts of diaper dermatitis
  • Recurrent balanoposthitis
  • Poor hygiene
  • Poorly performed circumcision
  • Congenital anomalies

-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please or --

Basics

Description

  • True phimosis is the pathologic inability to retract the foreskin over the glans of the penis as a result of scarring
  • The inability to retract a normal, supple foreskin is not true phimosis
  • The foreskin is rarely retractable at birth due to normal adhesions between the glans and the inner prepuce
  • ∼90% are retractable by 3 yr of age, and 99% are retractable by 17 yr, as the epithelial cells that comprise smegma are shed
  • Parents should be instructed not to forcibly retract the foreskin

Etiology

Possible causes of true phimosis include:
  • Trauma from forcible retraction of the foreskin
  • Repetitive bouts of diaper dermatitis
  • Recurrent balanoposthitis
  • Poor hygiene
  • Poorly performed circumcision
  • Congenital anomalies

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.