Severe penile fibrotic reaction secondary to a non-absorbable suture: a case report

Circumcision is one of the most frequent urological surgical procedures in the pediatric population globally. Complications, although rare, can be severe.

We present the case of a Senegalese 10-year-old male patient who had undergone ritual circumcision in his early childhood and developed a progressive circumferential tumor in the penile body with no further associated symptoms. Surgical exploration was carried out. A fibrotic-looking penile ring, which was interpreted as an injury secondary to the non-absorbable suturing material used in the previous surgery, was identified. The tissue involved was removed, and on-demand preputioplasty was conducted. Due to technical limitations, the resected tissue could not be analyzed, which means diagnosis could not be histopathologically confirmed. The patient had a favorable progression.

This case demonstrates that the medical personnel in charge of performing circumcisions should be adequately trained in order to prevent severe complications.