Outcome studies among men with micropenis

Abstract

Adult stretched penile length (SPL) was determined among 22 males who were diagnosed with micropenis. These adult SPL values were compared with SPL at the time of diagnosis, age of diagnosis and etiologic category in 20 men who were diagnosed before puberty. A portion of this group completed a structured questionnaire interview, the Social Adjustment Self Report Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist to assess social and psychosexual milestones and the presence of psychiatric morbidity. Results show that the majority of men who had been diagnosed with micropenis had an adult SPL within 2 standard deviations of the normal adult mean, with only a minority showing values below this. It appeared that men with micropenis might have greater than average interval SPL growth between diagnosis and adulthood; it remains unclear whether this supranormal growth represents a catch-up phenomenon or results from augmentation by intermittent androgen therapy. There was no clear relationship between SPL at diagnosis and SPL in adulthood. The responses to the questionnaires indicated that men who had been diagnosed with micropenis were comparable to control men in regard to gender issues, body image, social fitness, sexuality, work, family adjustment and the presence of psychopathology.