HPV? Eczema???

[d2]

About 10 yrs ago after a camping trip I broke out in a rash all over my body including red bumps on my penis (this was before I was sexually active).  The dermatologist diagnosed me with scabies and prescribed the scabies cream.  I applied the cream and the rash eventually went away.  About 4 years later I broke out in a rash again but this time it only appeared on the head of my penis and under my arms.  I went to a walk in clinic and they did not know what it was.  I told them of my previous experience and as a result they prescribed me the scabies cream again.  Once again the rash went away.  Another 4 years passed and once again I broke out in a rash all over my body (I was very stressed at the time).  This time the rash did not appear on my penis.  The doctor told me it was some sort of virus that had to run its course.  After a month or so the rash went away.  It was then that I realized that my mother and grandmother have a history of breaking out in hives when they are stressed and I assumed that my rash experiences must have been a form of hives.  However, a couple of months after that (8 months ago) I developed a rash on the head of my penis and it has not gone away.  The rash is very mild at times and hard to see in some lights.  It is visable around the entire lower part of the head of my penis.  There are also about 3 very small hard white or flesh colored bumps in one area but the rest of the rash is just red and tiny red bumps.  When I have an erection the head of my penis gets very dry (at times small areas have actually flaked off) and sometimes is covered in tiny red bumps.  While erect the rash becomes much more prominent.   Sometimes when I am not erect the entire head of my penis gets very red and sometimes just certain areas of it get very red.  A few months ago I also noticed a number of small hard bumps on the back of my neck.  I also develop redness next to my eyes at times.  I have seen two doctors and both said that it is nothing to worry about, as they were unable to see the rash on my penis.  However, the last doctor I saw had me tested for a series of STD's, all of which were negative.  He prescribed me the scabies medicine as well as a strong cream for eczema, neither worked.  Prior to this happening I was with the same woman for 8 years and she has never had an irregular pap or any sign of an STD.  From the research I have done, my biggest concern is genital warts.  Any idea?  Could this be ezcema (eczema) or hives?  Thank you very much for your help.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I don't think you have anything at all at this point.  I am skeptical that you ever had scabies, which is frequently overdiagnosed and treated.  Scabies is terribly itchy all over the body, to the point of keeping people up all night.  It's also contagious, so partners inevitably have it.  It's also curable--you can catch it again, but that's uncommon, and the condition is not recurrent over and over unless you have sex with multiple partners who keep giving it to you.  

I think you just have some mild penile irritation or normal variants of bumps, and that you're putting lots of unrelated things together in your mind.

If the doctors you already saw who reassured you haven't succeeded in allaying your fears, perhaps you should see another one-- a dermatologist or STD specialist.  But I doubt that you'll find out anything different or worrisome.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff