Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Diagnosis of Balanitis

Balanitis is usually obvious from the symptoms – your GP should be able to diagnose the problem by the redness and inflamed (swollen) appearance of the glans. Balanitis is usually caused by the bacterial infection, candida (thrush), which can be easily treated.

If you GP thinks balanitis could be caused by something else or it doesn’t clear up with treatment, then you may need to have some tests. These can include: 

• A swab (sample of cells) is taken from the penis to help to identify the bacteria causing the infection.
• A urine sample to check for sugar (if diabetes is suspected).
• Referral to a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic if your GP thinks a sexually transmitted infection (STI) could be the cause.
• Referral to a skin specialist if a skin condition or allergy is suspected.
• In rare cases, a small sample (biopsy) of inflamed skin may be taken. This is sent to a laboratory and looked at under a microscope to identify the cause of the infection.

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