Balanite

Balanitis is inflammation of the glans penis. When the foreskin is also affected, the proper term is balanoposthitis. Balanitis on boys still in diapers must be distinguished from redness caused by ammoniacal dermatitis. The word balanitis is from the Greek βάλανος balanos, literally meaning 'acorn', used because of the similarity in shape to the glans penis. 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 Recurrent bouts of balanitis may cause scarring of the preputial orifice; the reduced elasticity may lead to pathologic phimosis. Further complications may include: Stricture of urinary meatus Phimosis Paraphimosis Inflammation has many possible causes, including irritation by environmental substances, certain medications, physical trauma, and infection such as bacterial, viral, or fungal. Some of these infections are sexually transmitted diseases. It is less common among people who are circumcised, as in many cases, a dysfunction of the foreskin is a causal or contributing factor. Both not enough cleaning and too much cleaning can cause problems. Diabetes 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. 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. Zoon's balanitis, also known as Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis or plasma cell balanitis (PCB), is an idiopathic, rare, benign penile dermatosis for which circumcision is often the preferred treatment. Zoon's balanitis has been successfully treated with the carbon dioxide laser; 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.