Hypoplastic Urethra
photo by William Kennedy, MD
When examining the penis, assessment of the adequacy of skin circumferentially should be made. If the ventral side seems deficient, urethral hypoplasia may exist. Patients with this condition often have a penile raphe that zigzags back and forth as well as a thinned or shortened foreskin on the ventral side. If in doubt, a small feeding tube can be threaded into the urethra. If the print on the tube is visible through the skin, as it is in the photo above, circumcision is absolutely contraindicated, and a pediatric urologist should be consulted.
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