# Another penile pearl (I think)



## siddie (Jan 15, 2003)

I posted several weeks ago about a bump under my 4 and a half yr old's foreskin. The peds sent us to a peds uro who wanted to do a forced retraction because he said my ds has adhesions and accumulation of smegma under the foreskin. We told him we wanted to wait and see if it would improve on it's own and then would get back to him. Needless to say, we did not go back to this ped uro.

Anyway, now he has another bump which is white in color on the underside of his penis under the foreskin. It isn't causing him pain but I am concerned since now there are 2. The photos I have seen of penile pearls on the internet show then to be about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. My ds' bumps are much larger, about the size of a small/med pearl earring. How many of these are going to pop up? His foreskin doesn't appear to retract any more than it did a month ago, maybe 20%. How can I go about finding a foreskin friendly doctor in Honolulu?

I remember reading that a hydrocortisone cream can be used to help break the adhesions. Should I be applying that? If so, what % (1%?) and how often? I am concerned they may get infected ( that's what the uro said) and he will need a circ. I really appreciate any info from people who have had this problem or are familiar with it. Thanks,


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## Frankly Speaking (May 24, 2002)

Yours is the first I've heard of with two pearls. However, pearls are completely normal and they will work their way out.

Under no circumstances should your son be retracted. Retraction can cause damage. There is supposed to be a collection of smegma. It acts as a barrier between the foreskin and glans to keep them from readhering after they have separated. I have seen a picture of a pearl that was a quarter the size of the glans so I don't think your son's is unusual. It's probably better that there are two instead of one very large one. The smaller ones should pass easier.

The cortisone cream would be used to relax the foreskin opening and that's not something you want to do. It shouldn't be relaxed or forced until it's ready on it's own. Forget what the urologist said. This is not a risk for an infection and a circumcision is not in your son's future even if there is an infection. There are reliably effective antibiotics available should an infection crop up. Just as you would not consider chopping up a girl's genitals for an infection, there is no justification for surgery for your son. If anyhting should crop up, just let us know and we'll fill you in on a simple two step cure.

Finally, "how to find a foreskin friendly doctor in Honolulu?" That's a tough one. You may check with Marilyn Milos at www.nocirc.org for a possible referral. However, the best thing to do is to become as educated as possible yourself and use the best resource available . . .This forum! We'll be here and always happy to help you!

Frank


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## laidbackmomto2 (Apr 5, 2002)

My son also had two smegma "pearls" when he was about 2. They looked like flatten white peas under the foreskin on either side of the midline just below the glans. I didn't pay much attention to them because they didn't bother him, showed no signs of infection and basically I had read up enough to know what they were.

They stayed around for (from what I remember) a couple of months and then one day they were gone. I don't recall them "working their way out"...they were there and then were gone. Afterwards, I did notice that the foreskin was "looser" than before, as the foreskin was no longer fused to the glans.

My son is still, however, non-retractable at age 4. You must remember that the opening of the prepuce needs to "loosen" or "widen" enough to retract back over the glans and this may still take a few years beyond the separation of the foreskin and glans.

Cindy

Lindsey (96/02/26)
Jason (00/06/08)


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## siddie (Jan 15, 2003)

Thank you Frank and Cindy. I guess I just needed more reassurance since the second pearl appeared. It doesn't seem to be bothering him.


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