Phimosis

A condition whereby the foreskin of the penis is too tight. The penis itself consists of a cylindrical shaft with a rounded tip which is called the glans. The foreskin, or prepuce, is the fold of skin that covers the glans. Phimosis is medically defined as "stenosis (tightness) of the preputial ring with resultant inability to retract a fully differentiated foreskin." In other words, the foreskin is so tight it can't be pulled back completely to reveal the glans. Circumcision prevents phimosis. The word "phimosis" came from the Greek "phimos" which was the muzzle on an animal and the noseband on the bridle of a horse.

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Narrowness of the opening of the prepuce, preventing its being drawn back over the glans. [G. a muzzling, fr. phimos, a muzzle]

- p. clitoridis agglutination of the clitoral folds.

- p. vaginalis narrowness of the vagina.

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phi·mo·sis fī-'mō-səs, fi- n, pl phi·mo·ses -.sēz tightness or constriction of the orifice of the foreskin arising either congenitally or postnatally (as from balanoposthitis) and preventing retraction of the foreskin over the glans

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n.

narrowing of the opening of the foreskin, which cannot therefore be drawn back over the underlying glans penis. This predisposes to inflammation (see balanitis, balanoposthitis), which results in further narrowing. Treatment is by surgical removal of the foreskin (circumcision).

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phi·mo·sis (fi-moґsis) [Gr. phimōsis a muzzling or closure] constriction of the preputial orifice so that the prepuce cannot be retracted back over the glans. phimotic adj