Muscollum or Warts?

[worriedsickintx]

I have been seeing a doctor at my local college health center for about 3 months now and every two weeks he has been treating muscollum by freezing it off.  For about the last 3 visits (6weeks) He has been treating a spot underneath my circumsion scar.  The last time I went he took a look through a high powered microscope and gave me a very abstract answer that it was now HPV.  He was rushed and did not answer any of my questions about it.  His reasoning was that there were small bumps around the area.  Naturally I freaked out.  I went to the local planned parenthood on advice from my mother that the doctor's answer was a little fishy and that they have seen warts thousands of time.  I saw a PA there and she took one look at it and said that it was muscollum because of the ambilical dimple.  She did not perform the vinegar test like she has done in the past.  She said that the little bumps were most likly pearly papules which i do have around the bell of my penis and several on the shaft.  She told me that I shouldnt go back to the other doctor because he was scarring me and that I should get one of those scar gels to try and get it to look as normal as possible.  I have been really confused and reading all I can on warts and muscollum online.  I decided this last week to try the vinegar test at home.  After about 5 minutes and several(3 or 4) applications of vinegar the spot turns white.  My question is who should I believe, the PA who said she had seen them thousands of times and this was muscollum or the doctor who has been treating the spots and looked through the microscope?  ANother question is that if the area is freshly scared (that is to say really pink) would that effect the vinegar test?  I am so confused and worried right now that it is making me sick.  The spots arent bad and look nothing like the pictures online they arent cauliflower like and the small bumps are all over my penis already. Also the PA said that both muscullom and warts clear up on there own, how long does it take for both to clear up? Your help is appreciated.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

They sound like mollusca, not warts, so I'd go with the PA.  The vinegar test is nonspecific and unreliable and will serve only to make you more nervous, so please don't repeat it.

Actually, I'm not even sure you have molluscum, at least anymore.  I advise you to let things ride for a month, don't rub or pick the area--and don't keep examining yourself, or else you'll drive yourself crazy to no good purpose.

Then see the PA again.

Good luck.

Dr. Rockoff

[worriedsickintx]

Thanks you have put my mind at ease.  I just felt that the PA was more confident in her answer and I will go back in about a month to get checked again. thanks again