Odd skin rash

[fenworth]

For the past two or three weeks I have been experiencing a horrible itch all over my body, starting with my inner thighs and spreading down and up to my legs, feet, and stomach.  Lately, I have noticed small red almost scaly bumps that itch and are very sensitive to the touch on my penis and just yesterday the very tip of my penis became very sore and I noticed it was a bit red.  The "bumps" are not pussing or bleeding but are red.  There have also been an increase in strange "bug-bite" like bumps that itch terribly on my testicles.  There are small red unraised dots on my thighs and arms that are not painful but itch and just now i noticed a small patch of red on my left shoulder.  It is not painful and does not itch.  I have been showering profusely and, even though I shouldn't, have been scratching like crazy.  What could this odd skin thing be?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Going by your symptoms, the possibility of scabies is high. It is an infestation of the skin with the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. It is characterized by intense itching, usually at night and by small insect-type bites lesions on the skin. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs.

Other possibilities may be irritant contact dermatitis, molluscum contagiosum or lichen planus. Diagnosis can be confirmed only after clinical examination. I feel that a dermatologist would be the best person to evaluate that.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.