Hair coil strangulation of the penis

Strangulation of the penis caused by a coil of hair is uncommon. It can produce varying grades of injury that may result in a urethral fistula or even gangrene of the glans. Therefore it is important to be aware of this condition so that the strangulating hair can be removed and treatment instituted. The authors describe 15 boys who presented with hair coil strangulation of the penis. Their age range was 5 to 11 years. All were previously circumcised. Three boys had a superficial injury, and 11 had a more severe injury that resulted in a urethral fistula. One boy presented with gangrene of his glans penis, which resulted in autoamputation. One-stage repair was performed in 10 boys. The first three had recurrence of the fistula, and hence the technique was modified for the remaining seven patients. The latter technique proved simple and satisfactory.