Balanitis is

inflammation Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...

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 ...

. 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 ...

is also affected, the proper term is balanoposthitis. Balanitis on boys still in

diaper A diaper /ˈdaɪpə(r)/ ( American and Canadian English) or a nappy ( Australian English, British English, and Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or c ...

s 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 The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera '' Quercus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and bo ...

', 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 *

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, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...

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 d ...

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 Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

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 retra ...

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 d ...

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 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 ...

. * 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

In dogs, balanoposthitis is caused by a disruption in the

integumentary system The integumentary system is the set of organs forming the outermost layer of an animal's body. It comprises the skin and its appendages, which act as a physical barrier between the external environment and the internal environment that it serves ...

, such as a

wound A wound is a rapid onset of injury that involves lacerated or punctured skin (an ''open'' wound), or a contusion (a ''closed'' wound) from blunt force trauma or compression. In pathology, a ''wound'' is an acute injury that damages the epider ...

or intrusion of a

foreign body A foreign body (FB) is any object originating outside the body of an organism. In machinery, it can mean any unwanted intruding object. Most references to foreign bodies involve propulsion through natural orifices into hollow organs. Foreign b ...

. A dog with this condition behaves normally, with the exception of excessive licking at the prepuce, and a yellow green,

pus Pus is an exudate, typically white-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammation during bacterial or fungal infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection ...

-like

discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

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 sh ...

(rams/wethers), ulcerative enzootic balanoposthitis is caused by the '' Corynebacterium renale'' 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, incl ...

s, caused by a

virus A virus is a wikt:submicroscopic, submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and ...

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

References

External links

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