Do Pediatric Chief Residents Recognize Details of Prepubertal Male Genital Anatomy

Abstract

This study evaluates how well pediatric chief residents can label anatomic structures, recognize circumcision, and discern abnormal anatomy on three photographs of male pre-pubertal genitalia. Additionally, this study explored aspects of pediatric training in sexual abuse and clinical practice issues regarding routine genital examination of a male patient. We asked respondents to identify anatomic structures, recognize circumcision, and assign a Tanner stage to pre-pubertal male genitalia and to recognize an abnormal finding. 92.7% of chief residents were able to correctly identify basic structures on the photo of a circumcised pre-pubertal male. Only 22% correctly recognized the abnormal example as hypospadias. Basic recognition of anatomic structures and circumcision did not achieve 100% accuracy, while an abnormal condition was missed by the majority of respondents. These data suggest a need to address education about the male genital exam in greater detail during pediatric residency training.