Hair Tourniquet Syndrome of the Penis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Yogesh Kumar Sarin, Harsh Varshney

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi 110001, India.

Keywords

Glans amputation

Hair coil strangulation Ischemic injury of penis

Hair thread tourniquet syndrome

Penile tourniquet syndrome

Abstract

Penile tourniquet syndrome caused by hair coil is often an underdiagnosed clinical entity with severe potential complications including urethro-cutaneous fistulas, necrosis of the glans and partial or complete amputation of the glans. The first reported case of this entity dates back to the early 16th century; yet surprisingly, the condition is under-recognized and is rarely mentioned in textbooks. In this report, the case of a circumcised 4-year-old boy who presented with hair tourniquet syndrome of the penis is described and a comprehensive review of the literature is discussed.