Surgical management of acquired (cicatricial) buried penis in an adult patient

The pathological entity of the buried penis occurs most commonly in children and is usually managed by urologists. Its presentation in the adult population may invoke plastic surgery expertise. The pathophysiology of buried penis in the adult is entirely distinct from that in children, and management principles may be complicated. Many plastic surgeons are unaware of the entity, even though they may be called to assist urology specialists in the management of complications in an adult patient. Not surprisingly, precious little information is available in the plastic surgical literature to provide management guidelines for this condition. This report highlights evaluation and management principles in an unusual case of adult (acquired, cicatricial) buried penis, and helps define the role of the plastic surgeon in such cases.