Sudden swollen penis in intact 2 yo - what could it be?

[MittensKittens]

Hi mamas, can I please have your input? My two year old's intact penis just turned red and swollen this morning. He's had no other problems before. He keeps complaining that it burns, and doesn't let me touch it to get a better look. The only thing we've done differently in the last week is using disposable diapers for the first time in my son's life (broken washing machine). The swelling is more towards the scrotum, away from the glans and foreskin.

We're seeing a pediatric urologist tomorrow morning. We're living abroad and i don't have great faith in the doctors at all, so I want to find out as much as possible before the appointment. Any thoughts? I'm really worried for my little guy!

[Acupuncturist]

A similar thing happened a few months ago with one of my twins (5 yo). He came home from school complaining that his penis hurt. I took a look at it and the middle part of the shaft, halfway between the base and the tip was red and swollen. He allowed me to touch it and apply gentle pressure to the swollen area. When I did yellowish green pus started oozing from under his foreskin. This was not smegma -- this was pus, smell and all. Fortunately he was willing to let me gently continue pressing on it; eventually quite a lot of pus came out and the swelling came down. I had him take some warm sitz baths and put him on antibiotic herbs and within a day the redness was gone. I have continued to check it at bath time and everything seems fine now.

I suspect there was a little pocket where his foreskin had started to separate which got a little dirty and subsequently became infected. I have no doubt that if I had taken him to the doctor they would have scolded me for not having him circumcised and told me that this would only get worse until I had him cut.

[To-Fu]

Moving over to The Case Against Circumcision.

[To-Fu]

I'm NAK at the moment, but wanted to pass on this link from here in our forum:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

[lawmama1984]

This literally *just* happened to us. Sounds exactly like what you described, including discomfort when urinating. Of course, the doc mentions circ. I asked my MWs for this pregnancy about it and they said it sounds like normal separation trauma and they suggested I try tea tree oil baths. Everything was all cleared up within 2 days. I put about 5-10 drops in a bath for DS and I also put about 2-3 drops in a small cup and poured it over his penis. Best of luck, I think you'll be fine!

[eepster]

If the swelling is really up by the scrotum and not on the penis, it is less likely to be simple separation. Various things can cause swelling in the scrotum, and it should be seen immediately.

The main thing is when seeing a urologist is to make sure s/he does not try to retract the foreskin, and of course be very skeptical of any suggestion to circ. Personally, I would be more relaxed about seeing a urologist in many places outside the US for this particular specialty, so I wouldn't let the being abroad worry me.

[MittensKittens]

Thanks a lot for your replies, mamas! I don't really know why the topic has been moved to the case against circ, as it really doesn't have a lot to do with circumcision or a lack thereof . The swelling has gone down, and a rash appeared on his body soon after I opened this topic, so it's definitely not exclusively penis related.

Originally Posted by eepster

The main thing is when seeing a urologist is to make sure s/he does not try to retract the foreskin, and of course be very skeptical of any suggestion to circ. Personally, I would be more relaxed about seeing a urologist in many places outside the US for this particular specialty, so I wouldn't let the being abroad worry me.

Right, circumcision is unheard of over here, except for religious people. But that does not mean that a doctor cannot do any harm, of course. Retracting the foreskin is one of them, prescribing antibiotics where they are not needed is a big one over here. People routinely get penicillin shots for common colds at some clinics and the general attitude to medical care is extremely out dated. The last time I saw a general practitioner, my DD was prescribed medication that explicitly mentioned it was not to be used on kids under five. DD was one. When I saw the swelling had gone, I cancelled my appointment.

I'm still wondering what could have caused this.