Penile torsion repair by suturing tunica albuginea to the pubic periosteum.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new technique to repair penile torsion in children.


METHODS
Eighteen boys with penile torsion were evaluated in our department from 1989 to 2003. Eleven had associated hypospadias, 4 had chordee without hypospadias, and 3 had torsion only. The direction of rotation was counterclockwise in 16 cases and clockwise in 2 cases. Torsion was repaired in 6 patients by degloving the penis and reattaching the dartos and the skin (comparative group). In 11 patients (1 with prior repair), the torsion was corrected by suturing the lateral edge of the corpus cavernosum to the pubic periosteum (study group). Two patients were not treated.


RESULTS
Follow-up ranges from 6 months to 7 years. All of the 11 cases in the study group had satisfactory correction of the penile torsion. All of the urethroplasties for hypospadias were successful. In the comparative group, none of 6 patients had satisfactory correction of the rotation.


CONCLUSIONS
The technique of degloving the penis and reattaching the skin cannot reliably correct penile torsion in our experience. Lateral suturing of tunica albuginea to the pubic periosteum to repair penile torsion appears to be a better technique.
Zhou
Li
L
Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Mei
Hua
H
Hwang
Andrew H
AH
Xie
Hui-wen
HW
Hardy
Brian E
BE
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods