The meatus (mee-AY-tis) is the opening in a boy's penis where the urine (pee) comes out. In meatal stenosis (mee-AT-ul steh-NO-sis), the meatus is too small.
Meatal stenosis happens when irritation causes a scar at the meatus. This makes the opening smaller. Irritation can come from rubbing against a diaper, an injury to the penis, or having a catheter (a plastic tube that lets the pee flow out of the body) in place for a long time. Meatal stenosis is more likely to happen in a boy who is circumcised.
A simple procedure can fix meatal stenosis. This makes the opening bigger so that the pee can come out normally.
Meatal stenosis is usually noticed when a boy starts to toilet train and has trouble aiming his pee into the toilet. Meatal stenosis can cause a boy to:
Sometimes a boy may feel burning when peeing and, rarely, may see a drop of blood in his underwear.
A health care professional will ask about symptoms and do an exam. If possible, the health care professional may watch a boy pee to see the direction of the stream. Usually, no other testing is needed.
The treatment for meatal stenosis is called a meatoplasty(mee-AT-uh-plas-tee). This simple procedure makes the opening of the meatus bigger. It's done by a urologist , a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems with the urinary system.
Meatoplasty (also called meatotomy) fixes meatal stenosis for most boys. Simple home care will help your son heal after a meatoplasty. Talk to your health care professional if you have any questions.
Go to all follow-up visits with the urologist as recommended.
Call the doctor if your son:
Reviewed by: T. Ernesto Figueroa, MD
Date Reviewed: Mar 11, 2019
