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'''Meatal stenosis''' is a narrowing of the ''meatus'' (the opening of the [[urethra]]). Meatal stenosis is extremely rare in intact boys with a protective [[foreskin]]. About twenty percent of circumcised boys develop meatal stenosis. Meatal stenosis may be prevented by avoiding child [[circumcision]], which is a medically-unnecessary, non-therapeutic surgical [[amputation]] procedure.

After [[circumcision]] and the loss of the protective [[foreskin]], a child who is not toilet-trained persistently exposes the meatus to [[urine]], resulting in inflammation (ammoniacal dermatitis) and mechanical trauma as the meatus rubs against a wet diaper (nappie). This causes the loss of the delicate epithelial lining of the distal [[urethra]]. This loss may result in adherence of the epithelial lining at the ventral side, leaving a pinpoint orifice at the tip of the glans. Because this condition is exceedingly rare in [[intact]] children, circumcision is believed to be the most important causative factor of meatal stenosis.

** A 10-year retrospective series at [http://www.childrenshospital.org/ Boston Children's Hospital] included 41 patients with a median age of 10.6 years. Eighty-five percent of the patients were aged 8-13 years. The disease process was found to involve the prepuce, the glans, and, sometimes, the [[urethra]]. The most common referral diagnoses included phimosis (52%), balanitis (13%), and buried penis (10%). In 46% of the patients, circumcision was curative. Twenty-seven percent (11 patients) had meatal involvement that was treated by meatotomy and meatoplasty, and 22% required extensive plastic procedures of the penis, including buccal mucosal grafts.<ref>{{REFjournal