Phimosis is the inability to pull the foreskin back over the head of the penis (glans). The head of penis is covered by a tissue called the foreskin. The foreskin is usually loose and slides easily over the head of the penis. This movement allows the child to urinate or to become fully erect (in adolescents). Sometimes, though, the foreskin is too tight. It can close over the glans and become unable to move. This condition is called phimosis.
Treatment Phimosis is not life threatening, but the symptoms are uncomfortable.
Treatments include:
What causes phimosis?
Phimosis is natural in very young male children. In older boys, it might be caused by damage or scarring. It is more likely to occur in boys with:
Phimosis typically becomes a problem when symptoms occur. Symptoms include:
If your child has scarring from an earlier injury, circumcision is needed. If no scarring is present, your child might be able to use a steroid cream or ointment to loosen the tight foreskin. Topical steroid For boys who have phimosis without scarring, a steroid cream or ointment applied directly to the foreskin often works well. Your doctor will show you how to apply the ointment to the tight skin. The ointment softens the foreskin when used every day for 4–8 weeks. This treatment has few or no side effects.
Phimosis needs to be distinguished from agglutination, which is a rather common condition. With agglutination, some foreskin tissue stays attached to the glans . This protects the infant’s penis from direct contact with faeces and urine, which can cause irritation. Agglutination usually goes away on its own over time. Once the foreskin can be pulled all the way back, use of the ointment can be stopped. This treatment has few or no side effects.
Sometimes treatment with a topical steroid does not work. Sometimes your child’s phimosis can’t be treated that way. In that case, the doctor may recommend circumcision. Circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the foreskin . It is necessary to treat phimosis with scarring from previous injury. It can also treat phimosis that causes frequent infections of the foreskin or the urinary tract. Circumcision may be needed if your child’s foreskin causes problems.
In fact, circumcision is not a very painful procedure. Anaesthesia dulls pain during the surgery. Urination does not cause pain after surgery because the urethra (the tube that passes urine from the bladder) is not touched.