Congenital micropenis: aetiology and management

Stancampiano, M. R., Suzuki, K., O’Toole, S., Russo, G., Yamada, G. and Ahmed, S. F. (2022) Congenital micropenis: aetiology and management. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 6(2), bvab172. (doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvab172) (PMID:35036822) (PMCID:PMC8754418)

Abstract

In the newborn, penile length is determined by a number of androgen dependent and independent factors. The current literature suggests that there are inter-racial differences in stretched penile length in the newborn and although congenital micropenis should be defined as a stretched penile length of less than 2.5SDS of the mean for the corresponding population and gestation, a pragmatic approach would be to evaluate all boys with a stretched penile length below 2 cm, as congenital micropenis can be a marker for a wide range of endocrine conditions. However, it remains unclear as to whether the state of micropenis, itself, is associated with any long-term consequences. There is a lack of systematic studies comparing the impact of different therapeutic options on long-term outcomes, in terms of genital appearance, quality of life and sexual satisfaction. To date, research has been hampered by a small sample size and inclusion of a wide range of heterogeneous diagnoses; for these reasons, condition specific outcomes have been difficult to compare between studies. Lastly, there is a need for a greater collaborative effort in collecting standardized data so that all real-world or experimental interventions performed at an early age can be studied systematically into adulthood.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ahmed, Professor Syed Faisal
• Authors: Stancampiano, M. R., Suzuki, K., O’Toole, S., Russo, G., Yamada, G., and Ahmed, S. F.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: Journal of the Endocrine Society
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 2472-1972
• ISSN (Online): 2472-1972
• Published Online: 15 November 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of the Endocrine Society 6(2): bvab172
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License