Chordee is a relatively common condition that happens in close to 200 births of male children every year. The Chordee condition is congenital. It occurs when the penis sharply curves down or up at the tip or the end of the penis. If a child is born with it, it would be recommendable to take the child for diagnosis by a highly skilled medical expert soonest. The Chordee condition can also come with hypospadias.
Chordee with Hypospadias
Penis defects are the most common among children’s congenital disabilities globally. The penis abnormalities can include penile torsion, penis curvature, urinary problems, and foreskin problems. The penis curvature, also known as Chordee, can come with urinary issues, also called hypospadias. Hypospadias is the abnormality where the urethral opening is located underside the penis instead of the regular tip of the penis. Also, there’s a possibility that the urethral opening can occur in the below places:
- Slightly under the tip of the penis, also called distal.
- Midshaft that is along the bottom of the penis shaft.
- It can be located where the penis attaches itself to the scrotum.
- The area of the skin between the anus and the scrotum is also called the perineum.
What Causes The Chordee Condition?
Research suggests that Chordee can result from the sudden stop of penis growth of the fetus during pregnancy. Notably, the tissues that form the penis curve typically at the 10th week of the pregnancy. So, a child born with a curved penis means that the tissues never continued to grow after the tenth week of pregnancy and therefore remained curved. Higher chances show that the condition results from genetics. Circumcision of the male child, while the penis is inflamed, could also cause Chordee.
What Symptoms Show The Possibility Of Chordee?
The most common and notable symptom of Chordee is having a curved penis, either upward or downward. The curve of the penis can start anywhere from the testicles to the base of the penis. Also, if the individual has hypospadias, the urine can splash in the unintended direction during urination. Other symptoms that show the possibility of Chordee include:
- Skin tethering occurs when the tissue around the urethra becomes extremely thin near the tip of the penis.
- Penile torsion occurs when the midline raphe circles around the penis tissue on the bottom of the penis shaft instead of running along the shaft.
- A Webbed penis occurs when the skin of the penis is connected to the scrotum hence creating a webbed skin.
- Dorsal preputial hood occurs when the tissue of the foreskin only covers the top of the penis instead of around the penis.
How to Treat Chordee
It is vital to take the child to a specialist with experience and skills in treating the chordee condition soonest. Notably, the doctor will discuss the risks involved in the chordee penile repair. The only effective way to treat Chordee is to straighten the child’s penis and ensure the urethral opening is on the tip of the penis. The most effective procedure to treat Chordee is through a surgical process called Chordee penile repair. Also, the surgeon may use the most effective surgical technique to treat the scars that caused the Chordee after circumcision called Z-Plasty.
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