According to Dr. Komarovsky, acute balanoposthitis in boys requires special attention from parents. This disease is treated, in most cases it can be treated quite well. If the pathology is prone to relapse, circumcision may be recommended. What is balanoposthitis? Let's take a closer look.
Cause and effect
Balanoposthitis is an inflammatory disease localized on the head of the penis. Inflammation covers the preputial sac, mainly affecting the inner leaf of the organ. In most cases, the cause of acute balanoposthitis in a boy is insufficiently responsible hygiene measures. Inattentive attitude to the hygiene of the organs of the reproductive system provokes the accumulation of smegma. The substance mainly accumulates under the foreskin. Here there is an accumulation of glandular secretion secreted by the secretory system of the preputial sac. Such an environment is exceptionally favorable for reproduction.pathological microflora. As a result, the inflammatory process starts.
There are cases when the diagnosis of acute balanoposthitis in a boy, aimed at establishing the causes, showed physiological phimosis. This condition is considered a variation of the norm for children under the age of five. Such a specific feature of the local structure of the body complicates the implementation of hygienic measures, since it is impossible to expose the head of the penis by simply pulling the flesh. It is known that parents, noticing such a feature in a child, try to forcefully pull back the covers in order to open the head. Due to such a rough intervention, dangerous microorganisms penetrate the preputial sac faster, which means that the likelihood of inflammation and its potential strength become much higher.
Features and triggers
As explained by reference books containing thematic photos, acute balanoposthitis in boys may be due to a violation of the normal cleaning processes of the foreskin. These are sometimes due to synechia.
Most often, the analysis of pathological microflora shows the presence of strepto-, staphylococcus. Possible infection with Escherichia coli, herpetic virus, yeast. Sometimes analysis shows proteus.
Sometimes the disease is associated with excessive hygiene measures, too frequent washing of the organs of the reproductive system. The risks are high if harsh soaps or other harsh chemicals are used. Allergies and contact dermatitis are due tocreams. An inflammatory process may develop due to the contact of the child's body with linen contaminated with chemicals (including detergents). Balanoposthitis in this case is usually accompanied by inflammation of the gluteal zone, the entire perineum.
How to suspect?
It is not difficult to notice the symptoms of acute balanoposthitis in a boy - the disease begins with a pronounced deterioration in the condition. Most often, the child complains or shows signs of concern after emptying the bladder. The head of the penis is disturbed by itching, this area burns and hurts. As progress progresses, the process of emptying the bladder becomes more difficult. If the patient is very small and cannot describe his condition, he shows concern, cries a lot and is naughty.
If parents examine the child, they will see redness of the head of the penis, the surrounding tissues. This area is swollen. If you expose the head, you can see the accumulation of smegma, which emits a bad smell. Some patients have curdled discharge. Purulent and serous are possible. The volume of such substances is quite large. The source is the preputial sac. On the mucous organs of the reproductive system, on the skin in this area, foci of rashes and cracks are not uncommon. There may be patchy areas. As the disease progresses, erosion appears, the skin sloughs off.
Symptomatology: nuances
The signs of acute balanoposthitis in a boy include deterioration in the general condition of the patient. The child feels unwell and eats and sleeps much worse. Usually sick childrenirritable and capricious. In some cases, the examination shows an increase in the volume of lymph nodes in the perineum. The patient unconsciously tries to delay the emptying of the bladder because of the pain of this process. This leads to uncontrolled urination. This is possible both at night and during the daytime.
Deterioration of the patient's condition is observed within four, sometimes five days. The preputial cavity can open on its own, freed from accumulations of smegma. In this case, an independent complete cure is possible. There are cases when the lack of qualified medical care provoked a change in the form of the disease to chronic. This leads to the appearance of scars on the foreskin. There is a risk of paraphimosis, phimosis in a pathological form. In some, chronic balanoposthitis is accompanied by urethritis (also in the form of a chronicle). Possible deformation of the head of the penis.
How to clarify?
Diagnosis of acute balanoposthitis in a boy does not involve specialized measures. There is no need to use any professional equipment. It is enough to examine the patient, analyze complaints. The doctor examines the condition of the child. In some cases, samples are taken for laboratory testing. This allows us to formulate a more accurate picture of the flow.
What to do?
When symptoms of acute balanoposthitis in a boy indicate the need for treatment, it is necessary to show the childdoctor. Only a specialist can choose an adequate course of combating the disease. In the predominant percentage of cases, local therapy is chosen. Appoint sitz baths. For the procedure, herbal infusions, extracts, decoctions are used. You can make baths with antiseptic preparations. Instillations of an antiseptic under the foreskin are allowed. If it is not possible to expose the head of the penis, they may be advised to agree to surgery. Such an event helps to separate the synechia, free the preputial sac from pathological accumulations.
Can I warn you?
As guides with photos that demonstrate the course of the disease make it possible to understand, acute balanoposthitis in boys is an extremely unpleasant disease. To prevent it, you need to thoroughly observe hygiene measures. The task of parents is to teach the child to independently maintain the hygiene of the reproductive system as early as possible. Babies need special care from their parents. You need to choose the right diapers, track the frequency of replacing these items. No less significant are the measures for washing the genitals, the entire perineum zone. It is necessary to take care of the skin of the child, using specialized products. The task of parents is to choose only safe, non-allergic formulations.
What do parents say?
As can be concluded from the reviews, acute balanoposthitis in boys brings a lot of suffering to the patient. Not weaker than the anxiety we're forced to faceparents whose baby was a victim of the disease. Some note that balanoposthitis bothered, despite a very responsible attitude to hygiene. This proves that harsh chemicals used for washing irritate delicate baby skin. But people who teach children to take care of themselves from a young age, and until such skills are acquired responsibly engaged in infant hygiene, without using an excessive amount of aggressive means, rarely complain about this problem.
Many say that the treatment of balanoposthitis did not cause any particular difficulties. Some say in their reviews that the child's illness went away on its own, although there was no therapy. Despite the rather large number of such cases, it is not worth taking risks and saving, so as not to provoke undesirable consequences and complications.
Balanitis and balanoposthitis
These two diseases often develop simultaneously. If treatment of acute balanoposthitis in a boy was required, it is likely that balanitis will also need to be treated. This is the name of the inflammatory process affecting the head of the penis. Balanitis is a narrower process than balanoposthitis. In practice, these two pathologies flow into one another. Doctors note: recent studies suggest that the lack of treatment for such a disease can provoke malignant processes in the reproductive system. To avoid such a risk, it is necessary to start therapy in a timely manner, signs of the inflammatory process are barely noticeable. If the disease is prone to recurrence, you should consult a surgeon.
The disease can be primary, secondary. In boys, primary acute balanoposthitis, balanitis appear due to infection with a pathological microflora. There is a danger of congenital phimosis, in which the likelihood of these diseases is much higher. Urine, smegma linger in the preputial sac, the inflammatory process begins. The secondary form of the disease is observed if the body is already infected with an infection, the focus is outside the penis, but the pathological agent penetrates here, moving through the urethra. Most often, this is how Trichomonas is affected. The nature of gonorrheal, syphilitic disease of the head of the penis is similar. If a child has a diabetic disease, suffers from allergies, eczema, the likelihood of getting sick is much higher.
Candidal balanoposthitis
Acute balanoposthitis in boys due to the invasion of fungi from the genus Candida is relatively rare. Such a disease can be called thrush. Many girls, girls, women suffer from it, but the representatives of the stronger sex suffer from thrush much less frequently. This is due to the specific anatomy of the male body. Modern doctors know well how to deal with candidal balanoposthitis. The task of the parents, the patient and the doctor is to take sufficiently effective measures so that the disease does not become chronic.
Belonging to the genus Candida fungi are classified as opportunistic pathogens. This means that they adversely affect human he alth if somerisk factors. In the normal state, the fungus lives in the total volume of microflora in a small amount and does not harm a person in any way. If immunity weakens, active reproduction of this form begins, as a result, an inflammatory focus develops, a person becomes ill. The likelihood of such a development of events is higher if the child suffers from an immunodeficiency or a diabetic disease, if the body is infected with a sexually transmitted infection. There is a higher danger that the boy will have to deal with acute candidal balanoposthitis that has developed in the boy, if the child has an autoimmune disease, the skin is affected, there is a chronic pathology of the reproductive system or any internal organ. The same risks are associated with a lack of vitamins, general exhaustion, and non-compliance with hygiene standards and rules. If a child wears tight underwear made from synthetics, the risk of thrush increases significantly.
Features of the case
Candida acute balanoposthitis in boys is relatively rare due to specific anatomical features. The penis is an external organ, so it rarely becomes a breeding ground for bacteria if hygiene rules are followed responsibly enough. In order for pathogenic microflora from the genus Candida to appear, the degree of humidity that is optimal for it must be maintained. Fungi need warmth and high acidity of the environment. Often, thrush accompanies a change in hormonal levels. Usually, when infected with candidiasis, the body successfully copes with the pathology on its own.
In addition to the acute form, candidal balanoposthitis can appear as a chronic disease. An acute disease is easier to cure, it has vivid symptoms. Relapses in this course are rare. With candidal balanoposthitis, the head of the penis turns red and swells, disturbs the patient with a burning sensation. This part of the body itches, hurts. On the skin under the foreskin, you can see a whitish cover. The emptying of the bladder is accompanied by pain, the lymph nodes in the perineum increase. Examination shows small ulcers, erosion on the skin of intimate organs. The patient is irritable, gets tired quickly. Occasionally, there is an increase in temperature to subfebrile.
What to do?
Treatment of candidal balanoposthitis suggests the use of systemic agents, the use of local treatment. Assign antimycotic agents that prevent the reproduction of yeast fungus. Systemic drugs are rarely prescribed, more often local drugs are dispensed with. They can prescribe "Antifungol", "Nizoral", "Pimafucin". To combat fungi from the genus Candida, "Ifenek", "Ginezol", "Lomeksin" are used. Good reputation means "Mikogal", "Orungal", "Flukostat".
