Hair strangulation injury of the penis.

Penile strangulation secondary to a strand of hair acting as a tourniquet is an uncommon injury in young boys. Paraphimosis most commonly produces vascular congestion and edema without strangulation. However, serious penile and urethral injury can occur when a human hair becomes wrapped around a child's penis. We present a three-year-old, circumcised boy who presented with a swollen glans penis thought to be due to infection, and who ultimately was found to have a constricting hair coil at the coronal edge. The purpose of this report is to call attention to hair as a potential source of injury in the pediatric population and to stress the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, which are necessary to prevent a potentially devastating injury to the penis.