[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 22 Aug 2002 00:45:06: Is indeed normal for the fraenulum to be attached all the way up to the meatus
As an answer to: Is normal for the fraenulum to be attached all the way up to the meatus? written by C/C Teen at 21 Aug 2002 23:53:53:
> I've checked some of the pictures on foreskin.org/the-penis.com and I haven't found a single one with the fraenulum being attached to the meatus.
Depends a bit on what you mean by attached to the meatus.
> Is it supposed to be like this?
Difficult to tell without a picture to compare, in the absence of the real thing! The fraenulum connects somewhere below the meatus, anywhere from immediately below, to about 10 mm behind. All are normal because there is so much variation in the closure of the meatus - it being not at all uncommon to find varying degrees of "hypospadias" with the meatus being "too far" open.
Point is, there are many variations of "normal"
> Now if this isn't normal, I'm thinking it could be an adhesion, the description seems to match from the site anyway...
Adhesions to the underneath of the glans in the centre are most uncommon. If it's dead centre, give or take a few mm, then it's a fraenulum variant, if it's obviously asymmetric, it's most likely an adhesion.
> In which case, I guess I better go see a urologist.
But why would you want to do that? I can see no reason - they are essentially surgeons who you see if you need surgery. If you have a fraenulum variant, then you don't need surgery, you just need to use it, with or without stretching. If you have an adhesion, then the same stretching process will pull it free in time, or you need it pulled free as a one-time slightly painful procedure of which any competent doctor is capable.