Congenital Chordee and Surgical Repair

Congenital Chordee and Surgical Repair: Chordee is a condition in which the head of the penis curves, either down or up. It is usually noticed during an erection but can be noted in the flaccid state by resistance to straightening.

What is Congenital Chordee?

How common is Chordee?

Congenital Chordee is rather common. Some journals have reported that it can happen in as many as 1 in 200 male births. If you suspect your child has Congenital Chordee seek the advice of your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric urologist for diagnosis and repair options.

Causes of Congential Chordee:

Chordee is usually due to a congenital defect. It is possible that the condition is due to the arrest of penile development. It may also be due to a sexual development disorder.

Additionally, circumcision has been reported to result in chordee, as well.

Symptoms:

Congenital Chordee presents with a curvature of the head of the penis. This may include a tethering of the skin to the urethra, and fibrosis of the fascial layer around the urethra. Chordee may also be associated with hypospadias, which is a malformation of the urethra that causes it to open on the underside of the penile shaft. In the case of chordee with hypospadias, there may be an association with an androgen deficiency.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made by physical examination by a pediatrician or urologist.

Repair of Congenital Chordee

What is the recommended age for repair?

The recommended age to repair a Chordee is between the ages of 6 months to 18 months of age.

Z-Plasty Surgical repair:

Chordee is treated surgically by a pediatric urologist. A certain technique called a “Z-plasty,” in which a Z-shaped incision is made, and triangular flaps are sutured together is used in chordee due to circumcision. Surgery is usually performed between the ages of 6 and 18 months, with a positive outcome in most cases.

Complications of Surgery

Complications due to local anesthetic use are the most common in chordee repair, but this is a relatively benign procedure, and complications are rare.