Follow-up
Further Inpatient Care
- Observe the patient with balanitis for the following signs and symptoms:
- Signs of sepsis
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Inability to retract foreskin
- Inability to urinate
Further Outpatient Care
- If the patient is able to retract the foreskin and does not have uncontrolled diabetes, he may be discharged to follow up with a urologist.
- Circumcision should only be suggested, if the patient fails outpatient conservative therapy, particularly in children.
- Patients should receive the following instructions:
- Topical therapy - Bacitracin in children and clotrimazole in adults and possibly a steroid cream
- Education - Improve personal hygiene by retracting the foreskin daily and cleaning the glans penis with water
Deterrence/Prevention
Deterrence/prevention of balanitis include the following measures:
- Proper personal hygiene
- Control of diabetes and other chronic medical disorders
- Weight reduction for patients who are obese
Complications
Complications of balanitis may include the following:
- Meatal stenosis and possible urethral strictures
- Urinary retention
- Vesico-ureteral reflux
Patient Education
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Men's Health Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Foreskin Problems and Circumcision.
Miscellaneous
Medicolegal Pitfalls
- Failure to consider diabetes as the most common underlying condition for balanitis
- Failure to correct phimosis
- Failure to consider carcinoma in elderly patients
- Failure to refer to urologist for recurrent balanitis
- Failure to consider that balanitis may involve the meatus
More on Balanitis |
| Overview: Balanitis |
| Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Balanitis |
| Treatment & Medication: Balanitis |
 Follow-up: Balanitis |
| References |
| « Previous Page |
References
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O'Farrell N, Quigley M, Fox P. Association between the intact foreskin and inferior standards of male genital hygiene behaviour: a cross-sectional study. Int J STD AIDS. Aug 2005;16(8):556-9. [Medline].
Pugliese JM, Morey AF, Peterson AC. Lichen sclerosus: review of the literature and current recommendations for management. J Urol. Dec 2007;178(6):2268-76. [Medline].
Steadman B, Ellsworth P. To circ or not to circ: indications, risks, and alternatives to circumcision in the pediatric population with phimosis. Urol Nurs. Jun 2006;26(3):181-94. [Medline].
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Further Reading
Keywords
balanitis, glans penis inflammation, inflammation of the glans penis, balanoposthitis, phimosis, penile discharge, inability to retract foreskin, impotence, tenderness of glans penis, diabetes, cirrhosis, nephrosis, candidal infection, anaerobic infection, human papilloma virus infection, Gardnerella vaginalis, Treponema pallidum, syphilis, trichomonal infection, group Bstreptococci, Borrelia vincentii
