Parameatal urethral cysts in prepubertal males.
OBJECTIVE
Parameatal urethral cyst in boys is an uncommon and often poorly understood condition. We describe the largest known series of 18 prepubertal boys with parameatal cysts.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all pediatric patients at our institution diagnosed with a penile cyst according to our office database between 1992 and 2010. Charts were reviewed to determine patient demographics, symptomatology, pathology, cyst characteristics and treatment.


RESULTS
We identified 18 patients during the last 18 years who were diagnosed with a parameatal cyst. Most patients (66%) were asymptomatic. All cysts were less than 1 cm in diameter. Of the patients 50% were circumcised before presentation and 78% underwent surgical excision. There have been no recurrences in patients who underwent excision. One patient had spontaneous resolution of the cyst during the first few weeks of life. Pathology results were available for 6 patients. Three specimens contained a single type of epithelium and 3 contained a combination of transitional, cuboidal and/or columnar epithelia. The transitional and cuboidal epithelia were the most common components. There was no evidence of malignancy in any of the specimens and only 1 specimen contained an inflammatory infiltrate.


CONCLUSIONS
Parameatal cysts are a benign, usually asymptomatic condition that may contain a variety of epithelial types. The cysts may resolve spontaneously in neonates but are also easily excised with minimal risk of recurrence.
Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA. heather.willis@hsc.utah.edu
Heather L
HL
Willis
Brent W
BW
Snow
Patrick C
PC
Cartwright
M Chad
MC
Wallis
Siam
S
Oottamasathien
Catherine
C
deVries
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014522:Urethral Diseases / Q000601:surgery*