Inflammation of the penis in children is scientifically called balanoposthitis. Pathology affects the head and foreskin. With the development of inflammation in boys, severe itching and burning appear in the area of the glans penis, there is swelling and severe redness of the foreskin. Children complain of difficulty urinating. Purulent discharge appears from the preputial sac . In more detail about inflammation of the penis in boys, we will discuss further. And also highlight the ways to prevent this pathology and options for its elimination.
general information
As already mentioned, inflammation of the penis in children, or balanoposthitis, extends not only to the head, but also to the foreskin. Such a disease does not occur too often - only 6% of children and 11% of adult men. In addition, balanoposthitis occurs only in those representatives of the stronger sex who have not previously been circumcised.
As for children, inflammation of the skin of the glans penis occurs most often in boys under 5 years old. It is also observed in adult men who have an active sex life. It is not so easy to cure balanoposthitis in children, therefore pediatricians, surgeons and urologists consider this pathology serious. It is better to prevent such diseases so that your child is healthy and can have offspring in the future.
Causes of inflammation
The main cause of the disease is the lack of hygienic care for the genitals of the child. In this regard, the secret of prepuce glands - smegma - accumulates under the foreskin. If it is present, microorganisms that cause pathology begin to multiply actively, which leads to the development of the disease and the diagnosis of "penis inflammation".
Physiological phimosis
Balanoposthitis in boys can develop due to physiological phimosis. Most often, it is observed in children from three to five years. Phimosis is diagnosed if the head cannot be fully exposed when the foreskin is pulled back. Because of this, it becomes impossible to provide proper hygiene. Also balanoposthitis can occur due to the fact that some parents try to open the head on their own, without the help of specialists. As a result of this, various pathogens enter the prepuce bag from the external environment, which lead to the development of inflammation. The synechia of the foreskin can also impede the purification of the prepuce sac.
There are cases when inflammation of the penis in children begins due to excessive hygiene. The use of soap and other irritating agents sometimes leads to the development of a hypersensitivity reaction. Also, allergies can occur to various creams and powder left on the laundry after washing. The use of cosmetics often leads to inflammation not only of the penis, but also of the buttocks and perineum.
What is phimosis
Pathology can be expressed to varying degrees. With a mild form, problems with exposure of the head arise only with an erection, but in a calm state they do not exist. But in severe cases, there is difficulty in urinating, which leads to the fact that the body's vital products accumulate and drop out.
The foreskin begins to separate from the head after three years. By the age of six, she begins to speak beyond her borders. So far, it has not been possible to establish precisely the causes of the narrowing of the foreskin. According to some reports, this is a genetic predisposition, which is associated with a lack of connective tissue in the body.
If your child has phimosis, then treatment should not be postponed. Because the consequences can be disastrous.
For the treatment of phimosis, there is only one method - circumcision. During the operation, the surgeon partially or completely removes the foreskin. Previously, specialists tried to treat phimosis with medication, but this did not give positive results.
Balanoposthitis in babies
Inflammation of the penis in a boy can occur in infancy. It begins due to the fact that parents change diapers too rarely or choose them incorrectly. For example, use too large or small size. Also, special attention should be paid to the choice of underwear for boys. Panties should not be too narrow, they should not have seams, etc. Otherwise, the foreskin may be injured.
Also balanoposthitis can occur in children who suffer from various endocrine diseases (obesity or diabetes mellitus), urological (urolithiasis, cystitis, pyelonephritis), vitamin deficiencies, or with hypothermia.
These are the causes of inflammation of the glans penis.
Pathogens
Most often, the causative agents of balanoposthitis in children are streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli, yeast, herpes virus and Proteus. It is from these bacteria that men and boys suffer most often.
Symptoms of the development of pathology
Inflammation of the glans penis in a boy develops quite rapidly. Usually, children immediately begin to feel itching and burning in the intimate area. When urinating, the boys feel acute pain, there are some difficulties in this process. Children can even specially endure so as not to go to the toilet and not feel discomfort, some of them cry during urination.
During the examination, a specialist will detect redness and swelling on the glans penis and foreskin. Also, the doctor must expose the head. Accumulations of smegma will be immediately noticeable there, its unpleasant smell will be felt. In some cases, serous-purulent or curdled discharge appears from the preputial sac. Various rashes, diaper rash and cracks on the mucous membranes and skin of the genital organs may appear. If you do not start treatment when the first symptoms appear, there is a risk of erosion and desquamation of the skin.
In addition to the external signs of balanoposthitis, one can also observe a general deterioration in the condition of the child. A malaise appears, sleep is disturbed, appetite can significantly decrease, irritability increases. Quite often, body temperature can increase (37-38 degrees), lymph nodes in the inguinal zone can increase. As already mentioned, some children try to go to the toilet as little as possible so as not to experience excruciating pains. Because of this, there is a risk of developing day and night enuresis.
It is almost impossible not to notice the symptoms of inflammation of the skin of the penis in the boy, since it develops quite quickly - within 4-5 days. With this disease, self-healing is also possible, but only if the preputial cavity opens independently and it is cleansed of smegma. However, such cases are rare, so you should not expect such an event. In the absence of proper and timely treatment, balanoposthitis will become chronic. Such a transformation threatens with the formation of scars on the foreskin and the development of pathological paraphimosis and phimosis, the deformation of the penis may occur, and there is a risk of developing chronic urethritis.
Diagnostics
If you suspect the development of inflammation of the penis in a child, you should immediately go to an appointment with a pediatric surgeon, but if you have a urologist in your hospital, then you should contact him. Most often, balanoposthitis in a boy can be diagnosed at the first examination. No additional tests or examinations may be required. The specialist receives all the necessary information from complaints and after examining the penis. Some laboratory tests may also be performed. But this is necessary primarily for determining the pathogen pathology.
Necessary analyzes
It is impossible to start treatment for inflammation of the glans penis without laboratory tests. The doctor prescribes a general urine test for the child. In patients with balanoposthitis, bacteriuria and leukocytosis are found in it. To identify the causative agent, a bacteriological examination of the urine, as well as excretions from the preputial sac, must be performed. The latter is carried out if there is an individual indication. In some cases, the diagnosis of ELISA and PCR is required.
Also, the doctor must exclude the presence of concomitant diseases. For this, an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder can be prescribed, a visit to an endocrinologist, a dermatologist, a nephrologist, a blood test to determine the level of glucose and some other consultations and studies depending on individual indications are prescribed.
Treatment of balanoposthitis
So, what is the treatment for penile inflammation in children?
In most cases, therapy takes place at home without any special procedures. The child should regularly take sitz baths with the addition of antiseptics (furatsilina, potassium permanganate). You can also use decoctions of various herbs (for example, chamomile). Also, the doctor may prescribe instillation of antiseptic solutions under the foreskin. Most commonly used are Miramistin and Chlorhexidine. After hygienic procedures, the foreskin should be pulled back to remove smegma and other accumulated secretions. In the preputial bag, ointment is placed - the liniment of synthomycin. If the child has a fungal balanoposthitis, then "Clotrimazole" should be used. After carrying out these procedures, the foreskin must be returned to its original position. If the head of the penis cannot be exposed on its own, then the separation of the synechia and purification of the preputial sac is performed by a pediatric urologist or surgeon.
Painkillers
To alleviate the suffering of a child and reduce pain, drugs such as Ibuprofen can be used. If the patient has a severe form of balanoposthitis, then sulfonamides, antifungal drugs and antibiotics can be prescribed.
If treatment for penile inflammation was not started on time, then there is a risk of developing chronic balanoposthitis, as discussed earlier. In this case, the doctor may prescribe circumcision of the foreskin.
Prevention
To avoid the development of various pathologies on the penis, it is recommended to carry out prophylaxis. First of all, parents must observe the hygiene of the baby. And also teach him to take care of his genitals. Young children should change their diapers as often as possible, as well as carefully select them. Parents should provide care for the skin of the perineum, use only hypoallergenic hygiene products.
It is also necessary to monitor the general condition of the child. Do not postpone the treatment of diseases that can cause inflammation, monitor the baby's body weight and diet.
As for men, they should take a shower as often as possible, remove excess smegma, regularly change their underwear. And some representatives of the stronger sex do not pay enough attention to these procedures, which leads to the development of various pathologies that cause a lot of inconvenience.
Conclusion
Now you know what balanoposthitis is, what are the methods of its treatment. We can say with confidence that you should not even think about the question of how to treat inflammation of the penis yourself. If you find the first symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist. Since the consequences of such pathologies can be unpredictable. If you do not start the necessary therapy on time, then there is a risk of developing phimosis and paraphimosis. With the narrowing of the foreskin, it will not be possible to do without surgical intervention. Therefore, treatment should be taken in a timely manner so as not to suffer from more serious diseases.