Glans penis and prepuce colonisation of yeast fungi in a paediatric population: pre- and postcircumcision results

Summary The members of the genera Candida and Malassezia comprise opportunistic yeast with a natural habitat on the skin of humans and warm‐blooded animals. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of these yeast fungi in samples from the glans penis and prepuce 3–5 min prior to circumcision and after 1‐month follow‐up by mycological examination. A total of 77 children aged between 0.01 and 13.0 years (mean age 5.8 ± 3.4) were included in the study. Impression preparations were made on modified Dixon and Leeming‐Notman agars without cycloheximide. The isolates were identified by morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics. The frequency of yeast colonisation was found to be significantly decreased from 11.7% to 1.3% following circumcision ( P = 0.008). The glans penis and prepuce were colonised with especially Candida albicans (50%) followed by Malassezia furfur (40%) and Malassezia sympodialis (10%). This study highlighted the potential medical benefits of circumcision as a significant factor decreasing the colonisation rate of yeast fungi. We suggest that circumcision, rather than age, plays an important part in the reduction of yeast fungi in genitalia.