nipple skin peeling/falling off

[Jannoona]

I noticed yesterday that some very very small part of my nipple skin (upper surface) tend to fall or peel off. I have been using moisturizing oil which might had made it easy to peel. The nature of my nipple skin is not dry. I have a wart like or plaque on it's tip/head only sometimes when I shower and becomes erect it becomes very white and later when back to normal it becomes pink. I have a subareolar papillomatosis, but did not carry out any treatments for it as my doctors say it is bengin, could this be the cause, shall I worry, specially that these symptoms mimick paget's and adenoma?

I appreciate your advise.

[Jannoona]

I was told that other symptoms come along with Paget's such as change in breast size, shape, skin texture, frequent discharge, as well I heard that people can stay with paget's not diagnosed for years with out having developed further symptoms. Is this true...

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

Your concern that this can be paget's disease is valid.  Paget's disease, though relatively uncommon, may present initially as plaques, eczematous lesions, or scaling of the nipples.  Another possible cause is fungal infection which would also present with scaling but would require a test called KOH smear to ascertain the fungal nature.  This can be treated with topical anti-fungals.  I suggest that you take this to your doctor for a possible biopsy procedure if he deemed it necessary.  Regards.