Red patch on penis

[skoughty18]

About a month and a half ago, after unprotected sex with my disease free girlfriend, I developed a red patch on the underside of the shaft of my penis about an inch from the glans.  I tried to treat it myself with an anti-fungal and hydrocortisone.  After about 2 weeks I saw a doctor who told me that he didn't see anything that he believed needed to be cultured and didn't feel that it was an STD.  Three weeks later, the red patch is still present.  Every two to three days the top layer of skin dries, becomes papery, and flakes off.  It doesn't itch much, if at all.  It is oval in shape, maybe a centimeter in diameter, well defined, shiny red, never ulcerated or bled, and minimally raised.  What could it be?  I'm starting to worry.  Thanks for any help.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

Are there other symptoms present?   This could be an irritation, psoriasis or eczema. Irritation from substances such as your soap, detergent may resolve once the irritants are removed. Psoriasis appears as thickened red papules or plaques with a well-defined edge. In uncircumcised men, and at other sites, it has a scaly surface. It rarely causes irritation. It is caused by an abnormality of skin production and can be inherited.  On the other hand, eczema appears as diffuse red plaques with a poorly defined edge and finely scaled surface. It frequently causes quite severe irritation. It can be caused by infection or local reaction to skin injury from chemicals or radiation. If it persists, have this evaluated further for proper management.

Take care and regards.

[JT15]

You have psoriasis. Its a genetic condition that can be treated with steroid creams and UV light treatments (if needed).