Molluscum

I have several(11) bumps on the shaft and of my penis.  I went to the doctor convinced I had herpies (herpes), but he told me they are most likely molluscum.  They do not hurt or itch, and they do have a dimpled center.  He recomended I see a urologist.  I have 2 questions:

1.  Why would he recomend a urologist, and not a dermatologist?

2.  I could not get an appointment with the urologist for 3 weeks.  Many sites on the internet say that you can pull the white core out with tweasers and I have tried this with success.  What are the reprecussions of doing this?  After the core was gone, those bumps were gone in two days with no scarring?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Boggs:

I must say that little bumps with a dimpled center do sound like molluscum.  Molluscum is a viral skin infection whose full name, "molluscum contagiosum," is misleading, because in many cases, nobody else around has them.  This is true for adults who often get them in the groin, and for children who usually get them on the chest and under the arms.  Your sexual partner, if you have one, should be checked as well, or at least examined closely.

I don't know why ypur doctor recommended a urologist.  Dermatologists certainly diagnose and treat mollusca all the time.

You can treat mollusca by scraping them off, but we generally don't recommend this, because the procedure can lead to infection and perhaps scarring.  Since a single treatment should get rid of all of them, I would advise waiting for your appointment for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[jimbo1]

I was diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum in 1985 while stationed overseas in Korea.  I had the same bump-like symptoms and they were located around the shaft of my penis.  The doctor gave me a liquid medicine in a little bottle much like an eye dropper bottle but with a glass applicator with one of those black rubber things on the other end.  The liquid medicine in the bottle was a red/scarlet colored solution that was applied via the dropper directly to the bump.  The way it worked was the solution would dry during the course of the day and eventually flake off taking a layer of the bump with it with each application.  I have never had a recurrence since.  Sorry I don't remember the name of the medicine but perhaps your doctor will.  This stuff worked for me.  Good luck.

[desperateinsfl]

I've had a bump which looked like a pimple on my shaft of my penis since about 1999(Maybe since 98, it was for awhile though). In 2001 I finally had it cut off and removed, to have it diagnosed by my dermatologist to be Mollscum Contagiusm. About 2 weeks after that i had about 3 little bumbps removed from my penis with an acid that blew them up to about a size of a grape, then went away.  Now about 4 months later,i had an episode of 3 spots appear in about a week, but also dissapear in a week or 2, they became small shiny spots on my shaft of my penis. Now its been almost 4 months after that and again i am getting one of those shiny spots again. Everything i read says this is supposed to go away, but this doesn't seem to be. What can I do? Its 2002, almost 3 years later and it still keeps on coming back, Why?  I have been tested for HIV while donating blood within the past year, so I know i am negative for that.
The only other thing I can think of also is that, i have been getting acne on my face, along with boils on my nose, which from reading online can be do to Staph. (Is there a possibility that they can be related? I never had acne till I hit college, which was in Jan. 98)
I also read that:
Staphylococcus aureus