Department of Urology, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Türkiye.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Türkiye.
Investig Clin Urol. 2024 Mar;65(2):180-188. doi: 10.4111/icu.20230034.
To study the histological changes of the preputial tissue from birth to prepubertal age in order to define unnoticed morphological changes.
Prepuce samples were obtained from 79 healthy boys who underwent routine ritual circumcision. Specimens were divided into six groups according to the boys' age: newborn, 0-1 year of age, 2-3 years of age, 4-5 years of age, 6-7 years of age, and 8-9 years of age. Histologic analysis of the specimens was performed by H&E, Masson's trichrome, Verhoeff-Von Gieson, immunohistochemical staining.
Microscopic examinations showed that average epithelial thickness increased after the neonatal period (p=0.001). When collagen fiber density was evaluated, no significant differences between groups were found (p=0.083). When the elastic fibers in the dermis were evaluated, it was determined that the number and thickness of elastic fibers increased with age. Immunohistochemical examinations showed that the number of peripheral nerves marked with S100 was lower in the neonatal period than at other ages (p=0.048). When the vessels marked with CD105 antibody were counted, there was no significant difference between the groups (p=0.078).
This is the first study to examine the age-related structure of connective tissue elements in the foreskin. Our results showed that the prepuce's prepubertal maturation process is continuous, and the first 2 years of life are appropriate not only in relation to the physiological effects of age but also the optimum structural changes for wound healing, such as vessel diameter, epithelium thickness, peripheral nerve count.
研究包皮组织从出生到青春期前的组织学变化，以定义未被注意到的形态变化。
从 79 名接受常规仪式性包皮环切术的健康男孩中获得包皮样本。根据男孩的年龄将标本分为六组：新生儿、0-1 岁、2-3 岁、4-5 岁、6-7 岁和 8-9 岁。通过 H&E、马松三色、Verhoeff-Von Gieson、免疫组织化学染色对标本进行组织学分析。
显微镜检查显示，上皮细胞平均厚度在新生儿期后增加（p=0.001）。当评估胶原纤维密度时，各组之间没有发现显著差异（p=0.083）。当评估真皮中的弹性纤维时，发现弹性纤维的数量和厚度随年龄增加而增加。免疫组织化学检查显示，用 S100 标记的周围神经数量在新生儿期比其他年龄组低（p=0.048）。当计算用 CD105 抗体标记的血管时，各组之间没有显著差异（p=0.078）。
这是第一项研究包皮结缔组织元素与年龄相关结构的研究。我们的结果表明，包皮的青春期前成熟过程是连续的，生命的头两年不仅与年龄的生理效应有关，而且与血管直径、上皮细胞厚度、周围神经计数等伤口愈合的最佳结构变化有关。
