Increased risk of atopic diseases in boys with meatal stenosis: a possible pathophysiological relation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of atopy (i.e. atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergies) and its consequences on developing meatal stenosis in boys.

METHODS: After obtaining ethics approval from institutional review board, a retrospective chart review was conducted to gather records of patients with meatal stenosis (Group A) presented to our pediatric urology center between August 2012 and May 2016. History of any allergic reactions including allergic rhinitis, asthma, skin, food and drug allergies was considered as positive history of atopy. A control group of children referring to our center due to other etiologies were considered as control group (Group B). Data were analyzed using student t-test and Chi-square test.

RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 206 boys (mean age 41.01 months) were assigned to group A and 221 (mean age 35.56 months) to group B. 126 (61.16%) boys had history of allergic reactions in group A compared to 29 (13.12%) in the control arm (group B). Patients with meatal stenosis have a significantly higher (P-value <0.001) likelihood of suffering from allergic reactions.

CONCLUSIONS: The pathophysiology of meatal stenosis remains not fully understood yet. This study reveals a significant relation between hypersensitivity reactions and meatal stenosis in boys. Persistent inflammation in meatal area could potentially lead to scarring and stenosis. However, more investigation is required to elucidate this pathophysiology.

TYPE OF STUDY: Case-control study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.