Long-lost stitch from a circumcision under the skin of my penis?

January 3, 2010 7:58 AM

Do I have a stitch in my penis from a long-ago circumcision? Or something worse?

Recently I've felt a lump/bump under the skin of my circumcised penis, just below the foreskin. Important facts:

1. There is no outward appearance of the 'lump' -- no mark on the skin, no blemish, or rash, or wart, or anything. It really is under the skin and seems to be attached to the tissue underneath, rather than the skin itself -- I can move the skin over the lump.

2. It doesn't hurt in the slightest. It is not tender.

I was circumcised at age 12 (I think -- definitely before adolescence) because my foreskin was too long and prevented my glans from being exposed. I was told the sutures from the operation would simply dissolve of their own accord, provided I bathed daily, and they did. They just fell off after a few weeks.

I strongly suspect this is a remaining suture that I just haven't spotted until now. But has anybody heard of this?

I've checked all the penis cancer sites and none mention lumps UNDER the skin. I'm 37 years old, by the way. Statistically, as a circumcised man under 40 who doesn't smoke, penis cancer is very unlikely.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

There are few parts of my body that I know better than my dick and there's no way that something like what you describe would have gone unnoticed by me for 25 years.

Probably nothing but doesn't hurt to get it checked out.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 8:15 AM on January 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Subcutaneous fat nodules ('lumps under the skin') are not uncommon, even in such delicate parts.  It was around my mid-30's that I found suspicious lumps on my chest which, when examined with ultrasound, turned out to be hardened fat.

It could also be something like an ingrown hair; they don't always show on the surface.

I wouldn't worry too much but I'd still get it checked out.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 8:21 AM on January 3, 2010

I would put my money behind scar tissue, rather than the suture itself.
posted by emilyd22222 at 8:29 AM on January 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Sounds possibly benign, but I know if my dick even looks at me funny I'm off to the doctor.
posted by cmoj at 12:24 PM on January 3, 2010

Could be a sebaceous gland that has gotten backed up.
posted by Good Brain at 1:22 PM on January 3, 2010

I had a piece of dissolvable suture in my lip for a while. I was about twelve and swore to my parents and doctor that it was there but no one believed me. Finally one day months later, it just sort of popped out.

I was quite aware of its presence the whole time. Based on my experience, I'd be surprised if you hadn't noticed it in your more sensitive bits. I'd get it checked out.
posted by wallaby at 1:49 PM on January 3, 2010

I've seen these appear as results of using salicylic acid (found in most complexion and acne creams) on a daily basis. If you are using such a product, stop, and see if it goes away after a week.
posted by strixus at 1:50 PM on January 3, 2010

I had a similar experience with my infant circumcision. In my teenage years, over the course of 3-5 years a few little pieces of dark thread, about 2mm by 6mm emerged from around the site. they each took more than 6 months to erupt, caused no discomfort, and were easy to remove once an end broke through the skin. In my case the lump was clearly part of the skin, not the underlying tissue, so it may not be the same thing. It was otherwise exactly as you describe though.

So at least you know that you are possibly not alone. Still, I don't think there's any harm in having your doc take a look, in case it's not as benign as mine was.
posted by Four Flavors at 3:12 PM on January 3, 2010

I had a "dissolving" suture slowly work its way to the surface of my skin to the point where I could grab it with tweezers and pull it out -- 13 years after the surgery that put it there. A stitch is possible, but with that particular doodad, better safe than sorry, yeah?
posted by Addlepated at 8:55 PM on January 3, 2010

I used to have little black specs (2 or 3) about where you describe. Eventually I got curious and poke and squeezed until something came out. The whole process and result was similar to removing a splinter.

I remember coming across info about this somewhere and it was some normal penis-skin thing, in the same way that the bumps on the scrotum are completely normal. /shrug I would ignore it
posted by phrakture at 9:18 AM on January 5, 2010