ABSTRACT
Genital injury in boys caused by physical or sexual abuse is often unrecognised. Any unexplained penile burn, bruising, incised wound and laceration should raise suspicions of child abuse. Children suffering from child abuse may present with symptoms not related directly to their genitalia, example sleep disturbance, behaviour changes, phobias, anorexia, poor school performance and social withdrawal. Swelling of the groin in infants and young children is common and usually noticed by the mother while giving the child a bath. Groin pain often accompanies groin swelling, is caused by a tear or rupture to any adductor thigh muscles following trauma, and produces sudden sharp pain in the thigh. Risk factors for hernia incarceration include female gender, femoral hernia, and groin hernia. Lichen sclerosus is characterised by a sharply demarcated area of hypopigmentation around the vulva and the perianal area. It is associated with intense itching and bleeds easily with normal toilet activities such as genital wiping.
