It may be congenital or acquired. Untreated, it can cause recurring inflammation, problems with urinating, and sexual problems. Phimosis is a male problem which can be successfully cured.
“Phimosis is a condition when the tip of the foreskin is so narrow that during attempts to retract it the external urethra orifice does not show," Jan Gruchalski, MD PhD, child surgeon and urologist at the Lux Med group tells the e-zdrowie website.
This condition can be congenital – the physiological phimosis is present in infants – or acquired – this situation is caused by inflammation.
When to see a doctor?
As stated by the urologist, the physical phimosis can maintain in children up to two years of age. When this condition lasts longer, the parents should take the child to a specialist.
Sometimes the treatment has to start earlier. This is the case when the tip of the foreskin is so narrow that the child has trouble urinating, e.g. urinates in drops. “Phimosis is a common cause of foreskin inflammation, during which the foreskin becomes swollen, red, with pus discharge," Dr Gruchalski stresses.
According to the specialist, urinating problems and inflammation are signs that medical intervention is necessary.
Treatment methods
Phimosis examination consists of an attempt to retract the foreskin to test its flexibility level. This should be done gently – until initial resistance – to prevent damage to the skin and consequential scars.
The urologist explains that until recently, phimosis was in all cases treated surgically.
“Today, the initial treatment is in fact local, with steroid creams, which allow to loosen the foreskin in many cases," Dr Gruchalski notes.
If the steroid cream does not help, the only option left is surgery. In small children – up to 13 years of age – the treatment is performed under general anaesthesia. This is usually plastic surgery, which allows the preservation of the entire foreskin or its part.
Acquired phimosis can only be treated by surgery. Why? “Because a scar forms at the tip of the foreskin which cannot be stretched with steroid treatment," the urologist explains.
Consequences of untreated phimosis
Untreated phimosis can be the cause of smegma and urine lingering under the foreskin, which can cause inflammation and risk of infections of the urinary system.
In adults, the disease can lead to precancerous conditions and even penis cancer.
Phimosis also causes complications in sexual life – untreated phimosis can cause pain during erections in boys, whereas adult males will have trouble with proper sexual intercourse.
“Thankfully, today the parents are rather sensitive to this issue, and surgery takes place during childhood or youth. However, the sooner the better," the urologist recommends.
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