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Exploring the Changes in the Degree of Concealed Penis in Infants under 12 Months of Age
Min Zhang1, Haoyu Shi1, Youbo Zhang1
1Pediatric Surgery Department, Affiliated Matern & Child Care Hospital of Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Insights
Penile concealment in infants does not significantly worsen between birth and 12 months. This suggests surgical intervention for concealed penis can be deferred for observation in infants under one year.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Neonatal Development
- Surgical Assessment
Background:
- Penile concealment in infants is a condition requiring monitoring to determine the necessity of surgical intervention.
- Understanding changes in penile measurements during early development is crucial for clinical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze penile measurement changes in infants under 12 months with concealed penis.
- To assess if the degree of penile concealment significantly changes during the first year of life.
- To inform decisions regarding the timing of surgical treatment for concealed penis.
Main Methods:
- Measurements of flaccid penile length, stretched penile length (SPL), and penile index (PI) were taken at birth and 12 months.
- Paired t-tests compared PI changes in the concealed penis group.
- Independent samples t-tests compared SPL differences between concealed and normal groups.
Main Results:
- The penile index (PI) in the concealed penis group showed no significant change from birth (0.35) to 12 months (0.38).
- Stretched penile length (SPL) at 12 months was not significantly different between the concealed penis group (2.48 cm) and the normal infant group (2.59 cm).
- A total of 161 newborns were studied, divided into concealed (n=81) and normal (n=80) groups.
Conclusions:
- The concealed state of the penis in infants does not significantly worsen between birth and 12 months.
- Concealed penis does not notably impact penile development during the first year of life.
- Surgical intervention for concealed penis in infants under 12 months can be deferred for further observation.
Objective:
By analyzing penile measurement values, this study explored the changes in the degree of penile concealment in infants under 12 months of age, to reflect whether surgical treatment is necessary.
Methods:
The flaccid penile length, stretched penile length (SPL), and penile index (PI) were measured at birth and 12 months of age. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare the PI differences in infants in the concealed penis group at birth and 12 months, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. An independent samples t-test was used to compare the SPL differences between the two groups at birth and 12 months, with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.
Results:
A total of 161 newborns born between August 2019 and June 2023 were divided into two groups: The concealed penis (n = 81) and the normal infant group (n = 80). The PI of infants in the concealed penis group at 12 months was 0.38; When compared to the initial PI of 0.35 at birth, the difference was not statistically significant. At 12 months, the SPL for the normal infant group was 2.59 cm, slightly longer than the SPL of 2.48 cm in the concealed penis group; However, the difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
In infants with a concealed penis, the concealed state does not significantly worsen during birth to 12 months, nor does it notably impact penile development. Surgical intervention may therefore be deferred for patients under 12 months of age for further observation.
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