Histological and morphological characteristics of the prepuce of penis skin structure in different age groups.

Background: Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital abnormalities in childhood. The number of cases has rapidly grown in recent years.
Objectives: The purpose of this research was to analyze the histological and morphological differences of the foreskin samples taken from boys in three age groups.
Study Design: A total of 30 Asian patients participated in the research. Clinical materials obtained via biopsy were divided into three age groups. The first group included 10 biopsy materials of preputial skin taken from boys aged <3 years. The second included 10 similar biopsy materials from boys aged 3-5 years. The third included 10 biopsy materials taken from boys aged 5-7 years. The skin areas were taken from the dorsal, two lateral and the ventral surfaces (closer to the bridle) with dimensions of 1.0 × 1.0 cm. All removed foreskins underwent histological examination.
Results: Obtained results showed that the number of vein clusters in the prepuce and the cases of vessel wall fibrosis grew with age. It is worth noting that no such discoveries were made in younger boys (aged <3 years). Sample analysis showed that the number of nerve, vessel, and collagen fibers increased with age.
Discussion: It is believed that it is important to continue investigating the prepuce in hypospadias, in order to gain a better understanding of the abnormality depending on type.
Conclusion: Peculiarities of prepuce in hypospadias discovered in different age groups allowed a full understanding of the pathology development processes.
(Copyright © 2018 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)