Color change on rash on penis

[trainbuff]

14 days ago noticed a 1/2x1/2 square area on the folds of my penis (by the head). I am circumsized. Am 68 year old white male. Went to my dermatologist and he gave me some Lotrimin cream but he did not know what this was. The center had a black area on it and there was a red area on the glans on top. Also underneath a small area about the diameter of a pea. No itching but sore to the touch. After two days went to my urologist. He looked at it and said NOT a fungus and found a picture of what he thought it was in a book K. Sarcoma. He wanted to do a punch biopsy. He emphasized he was NOT sure it was K. Sarcoma. 3 days later I was ready to do biopsy and he was taking pictures of the penis and area. He seemed puzzled and I asked him what was going on. He said this area was NOT the same color as before. It was now the color of a peach (orange-red) but the black area had entirely disappeared. He then wrote a Rx for Mycolog II Cream. I did not think to ask him why he wrote this as he had told me 3 days earlier that it was not a fungus. Since Monday it has improved. The glans is still sensitive and the little pea sized area looks reddened and is slightly "weeping" I am applying Mycolog II Cream and Lidocaine Cream three times daily. Have an appt with a dermatologist in 2 weeks. But he seemed puzzled and I am puzzled at why the blackened area that was in the center is now completely gone. I am cleaning it three times daily with a towel-wipe before re-applying the cream mixture.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Mycolog contains a steroid as well as an anti-fungal medicine, and it's probably the steroid that's helping.  The black spot may have been a scab of some sort.  The 2-week onset sounds way too fast for this to be any kind of skin cancer.  My advice is to continue using the cream, but not to clean the skin with a towel-wipe, since that is unnecessary and is almost certainly making the condition last longer and aggravating it.  Gentle cleansing with water is sufficient.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[trainbuff]

Thank you Dr. Rockoff for your comments on my penile skin condition. I was also wondering by my urologist's comments re: K Sarcoma. He told me this is a very slow growing cancer. Well if it is a slow-growing cancer, how could this show up in 2-3 weeks (where it had not been before) and now,today, the black area is gone and itis looking more and more normal. (It has not gone away) but I have only been applying the Mycolog II Cream for 3 days. My brother who works in San Francisco told me that K. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that many homosexual men contacted thru anal sex. Well I have been faithful to my wife of 30 years and so I, also, was puzzled. I have a follow-up appt 3 weeks out with a highly recommended dermatoligist (Dr. J.Mark Bauer) here in Olympia, WA to just check it out 3 weeks out. I will use just Sterile Water for Irrigation to cleanse the area in addition to showering twice daily. Thanks so much for you kind comments and I am not afraid any more. The "C" diagnosis I am sure scares everyone....
Sincerely,

Richard DeGarmo

[trainbuff]

Dr. how could K. Sarcoma or any cancer appear in two weeks on penis when I was told by my urologist that this is a slow growing cancer. Is that possible. I wrote you before. The Mycolog II Cream has helped and the area is free of any red area but want to know about the purplish-red area on the corona of the glans penis?? It is sensitive to the touch and a bit painful. I apply the Mycolog II Cream three times daily. (I think you told me also that cancer would NOT generally appear in 2 weeks on the penis (folds-glans).

Have you personally ever seen a case of K. Sarcoma which appears full blown in 2 weeks and I thought this type of cancer was normally in homosexual men and was located in other areas of the body??

Any reassurance you could give me would be helpful!! I will be seeing my dermatologist on Tuesday March 27th.

Last question: Would you suggest I NOT tell him about any past diagnosis by the urologist and just let him tell me what he observes??
Rich DeGarmo