A married man in Taichung, Taiwan, rushed to a urologist after experiencing sudden pain in his genital area during a shower—only to find hardened smegma deposits that had accumulated unnoticed for three decades.
The patient, who initially feared he was passing kidney stones when debris fell into the drain, visited urologist Dr. Chen Zhaoan on March 14. Upon examination, Dr. Chen found a severe buildup of smegma—a mixture of dead skin cells, oils, and bodily secretions—beneath the man’s foreskin.
The substance had hardened into thick, yellow-brown crusts with a strong foul odor. Dr. Chen described the smegma as stone-like, flaking apart during removal. The smell was so intense that it permeated the clinic, making the situation particularly challenging.
### **Lack of Hygiene Led to Extreme Buildup**
Dr. Chen determined that the man had an unusually long foreskin and was unaware that it required retraction for proper cleaning. The patient admitted he had not been sexually active in about 30 years, allowing the smegma to calcify over time.
While such extreme cases are rare, Dr. Chen noted that he encounters smegma-related hygiene issues approximately every two years. He stressed the importance of daily genital cleaning with water and mild soap, particularly for uncircumcised men.
### **A Lesson in Preventative Care**
Dr. Chen urged men experiencing discomfort or uncertainty to seek medical advice, highlighting Taiwan’s accessible healthcare system. To educate others, the 30-year-old smegma accumulation was preserved in specimen jars at his clinic as a stark reminder of the consequences of poor hygiene.
This unusual case underscores the importance of proper genital care and regular medical check-ups to prevent long-term health complications.
