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Phimosis occurs when the foreskin (skin covering the head of the penis) is tight and cannot be retracted. Before age 6, this can be normal. However, if it is associated with pain or infection, or does not resolve on its own by age 6, treatment may be necessary.
With phimosis, the foreskin is tight and there will be difficulty or pain with retraction. There may be ballooning with urination, and there can also sometimes be redness and pain.
Phimosis occurs naturally in uncircumcised infants but typically relaxes on its own by age 6. It can worsen when urine is trapped, which leads to irritation of the skin and head of the penis, a condition known as balanoposthitis.
Phimosis is diagnosed with a physical exam.
Treatment either includes a course of steroid cream with skin retraction at home or surgery. Surgical options include circumcision or a preputioplasty, where the foreskin is preserved and the scar is opened.
The Division of Pediatric Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine, proudly affiliated with Children’s Hospital of New York at NewYork-Presbyterian, provides world-class care to children of all ages, from birth through adolescence, with disorders of the kidney, ureter, bladder, urethral and external genitalia. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric urologists offer minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic procedures, complex open procedures and non-surgical management of pediatric urological disorders. Our program is a top Pediatric Urology program in New York City, and NewYork-Presbyterian Children’s Hospital-Columbia and Cornell is ranked among the top 50 pediatric urology programs in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
To request an appointment, please call our office at (212) 746-5337 or schedule an appointment with one of our providers online below. Our phone staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, from 9AM-5PM (EST).
Meet our expert providers who specialize in treating Phimosis:
