Buried penis (also known as hidden penis or retractile penis) is a congenital or acquired condition in which the penis is partially or completely hidden below the surface of the skin. A buried penis can lead to urinary difficulties, poor hygiene, infection, and inhibition of normal sexual function.Buried penis is different than micropenis, which is an abnormally small, normally structured penis with a stretched penile length of less than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for age or stage of sexual development of the patient. History
Buried penis was first described by Edward Lawrence Keyes in 1919 as the apparent absence of the penis due to the penis being buried beneath the skin of the abdomen, thigh, or scrotum. Further research was done by Maurice Campbell in 1951, when he reported on the penis being buried beneath subcutaneous fat of the scrotum, perineum, hypogastrium, and thigh. Causes
Congenital
Congenital causes can include the maldevelopment of the penile shaft with a lack of attachments of the shaft skin to the penile shaft. While rare, it can include an abnormally large pubic fat pad and firm tissue that pulls the penis inward. Acquired
Obesity
While not every obese male has the buried penis condition, 87% of men that received surgical treatment for buried penis were reported to be obese. Significant overlying abdominal fat can also create an environment that encourages bacterial and fungal growth.
In a video demonstrating the use of a panniculectomy in the repair of adult buried penis, Dr. Bryan Voelzke and his colleagues emphasized the need to tack the suprapubic fat pad to the periosteum of the symphysis pubis as well as the importance of not pulling down the peno-scrotal junction and peno-abdominal junction just in order to further expose the penis.King IC, Tahir A, Ramanathan C, and Siddiqui H developed a modified treatment algorithm employing a single surgical technique consisting primarily of scar release and the mobilization of the skin of the penis.An article published in August 2019 by Dr. James J. Elist reported that a procedure involving the insertion of a subcutaneous soft silicone penile implant was successful in reversing the condition of adult acquired buried penis. See also
Micropenis
Phalloplasty
Webbed penis

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