Dr. Ria P. Maslog Medical Insider
Common Anomalies of the Penis and Urethra
In today’s issue, let us talk about the common anomalies of the penis and the urethra which would prod the pediatrician to
call the attention of some parents. This happens upon the pediatrician’s examination of their babies at birth.
What are these anomalies?
1. Hypospadias:
– this condition occurs in 1 of 500 newborns
– the urethral meatus opens on the ventral aspect of the glans
– testes are undescended in 10% of boys with hypospadias and inguinal hernias are common
2. Agenesis and Micropenis:
– agenesis of the penis is rare and is usually associated with anorectal and renal anomalies
– micropenis is a result of primary or secondary testicular failure during fetal life after morphogenesis is complete
– the normal length of the penis of the newborn is 3.5 [+] [~] 0.7 cms
3. Phimosis and Paraphimosis
– phimosis is the inability to retract the prepuce at an age when it should be normally retractable and this is usually at 3 years old
– Paraphimosis occurs when a phimotic prepuce is retracted behind the coronal sulcus and this retraction cannot be reduced
4. Urethral Prolapse
– is common in black females who exhibit vulvar bleeding
– surgical excision and reapproximation of the mucosal edges is curative