Balanitis is

inflammation Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...

of the

glans penis In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual pl ...

. When the

foreskin In male human anatomy, the foreskin, also known as the prepuce, is the double-layered fold of skin, mucosal and muscular tissue at the distal end of the human penis that covers the glans and the urinary meatus. The foreskin is attached to the ...

is also affected, the proper term is balanoposthitis. Balanitis on boys still in diapers must be distinguished from redness caused by ammoniacal

dermatitis Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can ...

. The word ''balanitis'' is from the Greek βάλανος'' '', literally meaning ' acorn', used because of the similarity in shape to the

Signs and symptoms

* Small red erosions on the glans (first sign) * Redness of the foreskin * Redness of the penis * Other rashes on the head of the penis * Foul smelling discharge * Painful foreskin and penis

Complications

Recurrent bouts of balanitis may cause scarring of the preputial orifice; the reduced elasticity may lead to pathologic phimosis. Furthe
complications
may include: * Stricture of

urethral meatus The urinary meatus, (, ) also known as the external urethral orifice, is the opening of the urethra. It is the point where urine exits the urethra in both sexes and where semen exits the urethra in males. The meatus has varying degrees of sensiti ...

Phimosis Phimosis (from Greek φίμωσις ''phimōsis'' 'muzzling'.) is a condition in which the foreskin of the penis cannot stretch to allow it to be pulled back past the glans. A balloon-like swelling under the foreskin may occur with urination. In ...

Paraphimosis Paraphimosis is an uncommon medical condition in which the foreskin of a penis becomes trapped behind the glans penis, and cannot be ''reduced'' (pulled back to its normal flaccid position covering the glans). If this condition persists for several ...

Cause

Inflammation Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...

has many possible causes, including irritation by environmental substances, physical trauma, and

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dis ...

such as bacterial, viral, or fungal. Some of these infections are

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

s. It is less common among people who are circumcised, as in many cases, a dysfunction of the

is a causal or contributing factor. Both not enough cleaning and too much cleaning can cause problems.

Diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

can make balanitis more likely, especially if the blood sugar is poorly controlled. It is important to exclude other causes of similar symptoms such as

penile cancer Penile cancer is cancer that develops in the skin or tissues of the penis. Symptoms may include abnormal growth, an ulcer or sore on the skin of the penis, and bleeding or foul smelling discharge. Risk factors include phimosis (inability to retr ...

Diagnosis

Diagnosis may include careful identification of the cause with the aid of a good patient history, swabs and cultures, and pathological examination of a

biopsy A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed by a surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional cardiologist. The process involves extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a dise ...

Types

* Zoon's balanitis, also known as ''Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis'' or ''plasma cell balanitis'' (PCB), is an idiopathic, rare, benign penile dermatosisKeogh G. for which circumcision is often the preferred treatment. Zoon's balanitis has been successfully treated with the

carbon dioxide laser The carbon-dioxide laser (CO2 laser) was one of the earliest gas lasers to be developed. It was invented by Kumar Patel of Bell Labs in 1964 and is still one of the most useful types of laser. Carbon-dioxide lasers are the highest-power contin ...

; and more recently, Albertini and colleagues report the avoidance of circumcision and successful treatment of Zoon's balanitis with an Er:YAG laser. Another study, by Retamar and colleagues, found that 40 percent of those treated with CO₂ laser relapsed. * Circinate balanitis, also known as balanitis circinata, is a

serpiginous Serpiginous, first known to be used in the 15th century, is a term from Latin serpere to creep, usually referring to a creeping, snakelike or slowly progressive skin disease. It is used to describe the rash in cutaneous larvae migrans, erythema an ...

annular dermatitis associated with

reactive arthritis Reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter's syndrome, is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body (cross-reactivity). Coming into contact with bacteria and developing an infection can t ...

. * Pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous balanitis

Treatment

Initial treatment in adults often involves simply pulling back the

and cleaning the penis. However, some topical antibiotic and fungal ointments may be used for treatment for mild cases. Depending upon severity, hydrocortisone and other steroidal creams may be used upon consultation.

Epidemiology

Balanitis "is a common condition affecting 11% of adult men seen in

urology Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...

clinics and 3% of children" in the United States; globally, balanitis "may occur in up to 3% of uncircumcised males".

Other animals

Balanoposthitis_canine_prepuce_discharge

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

s, balanoposthitis is caused by a disruption in the integumentary system, such as a wound or intrusion of a foreign body. A dog with this condition behaves normally, with the exception of excessive licking at the prepuce, and a yellow green, pus-like discharge is usually present. In

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

(rams/wethers), ulcerative enzootic balanoposthitis is caused by the ''

Corynebacterium renale ''Corynebacterium renale'' is a pathogenic bacterium that causes cystitis and pyelonephritis in cattle. ''C. renale'' is a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive organism, characterized by nonencapsulated, nonsporulated, immobile, straight or ...

'' group (''C. renale, C. pilosum & C. cystidis''). For the condition in

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

s, caused by a

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...

see Bovine herpesvirus 1. Balanoposthitis is believed to have contributed to the decline to near-extinction of

Gilbert's potoroo Gilbert's potoroo or ngilkat (''Potorous gilbertii'') is Australia's most endangered marsupial, the rarest marsupial in the world, and one of the world's rarest critically endangered mammals, found in south-western Western Australia. It is a ...

References

External links

*
Dermatological atlas
{{Male diseases of the pelvis and genitals Circumcision debate Inflammations Penis disorders Theriogenology