4 yr old with sore on penis shaft

[hollyhockgirl]

My son was circumcised as a baby but is now 4 and has a sore on his penis along the line where his foreskin was removed. It usually just looks like a long bump, but at times gets red and develops two "white heads" at either end. It doesn't appear to be infected at all so I'm thinking the white heads are just built up dead skin cells from where the incision didn't heal correctly. I don't want to hurt him by squeezing it or traumatize him emotionally by having a doctor examine him if it's not necessary. I'm concerned that he may need a medical procedure to have it fixed.

[Debbie Miller, RN]

Hello,
I would suggest that you have your child's pediatrician check it at the next well-child visit. It can be handled very matter-of-factly along with all the other body systems and if no undo attention is put on it, he is likely to not be "traumatized" at all, but will recognize this is just part of his overall exam to be sure he is well and healthy. Talk to him about the doctor just wanting to check everything out to be sure all is well. It would require an exam to determine if this is anything of concern, but I do feel it is important to treat it the same as all other body parts. It is likely just normal anatomy but only an exam can tell you for sure.

Best wishes.