Patient's question:
Detailed medical condition and consultation purpose:My son was born with a very small penis, and even at 2 and a half years old, it hasn't grown. It's not completely hidden, but it's small and not as long or large as other children's. His testicles are normal—they're inside, and there's only a little bit of skin in front. When he urinates, it swells and a section becomes visible, and it can be felt, but it goes back inside after urination. At first, we thought the foreskin was too small and that it would be fine once he grew bigger and could have a small surgery. But I'm wondering why it's not growing. It's still the same size, and it looks a bit small. Later, I went to the hospital again, and the doctor told me to locate the penis and push it down. But
Doctor's answer:
Hello, cryptorchidism is a common congenital developmental anomaly and deformity, and it is different from phimosis or paraphimosis in children. As everyone knows, after a male infant is born, the foreskin always covers the glans penis. By the age of 3-4, most children's foreskin can retract on its own, exposing the glans. If the foreskin still cannot retract or the foreskin opening is very small at this time, it is then called phimosis or paraphimosis. In the case of cryptorchidism, the penile body is hidden within the body, with only a small pointed foreskin protruding outside. If the skin of the penis is pushed inward by hand, the penile body will be exposed, but it will retract back into the body as soon as the hand is released. Therefore, some people call it buried penis. Although cryptorchidism resembles phimosis in appearance, they are two completely different conditions. This is because the outer skin of cryptorchidism is not too long but too short, and the penile body is not small but normal. There are three causes for its occurrence: first, poor development or excessive shortness of the penile skin; second, an abnormally small preputial cavity; and third, the penile skin does not cover the corpus cavernosum, causing the corpus cavernosum to retract into the body without support. If cryptorchidism is not surgically corrected and left to remain hidden and unable to extend outward, the development of the penile body will be restricted. Therefore, cryptorchidism must be corrected within a certain age range (3-5 years). For your child's condition, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible.