Tiny white bumps on penis

Over a week ago I noticed a very tiny bump on the shaft of my penis. It was white, painless, did not itch or appear moist. A couple days later I noticed a few other bumps but could not determine if they were indeed new or if I just never noticed them before. The original one is only prominent when the skin of my penis is loosely stretched or if my penis is erect. The others are only noticeable if I really stretch the skin and appear flesh colored rather than white.

I have had anal warts before, (over 5 years ago, treated with Aldara, never had a recurrence of them), and because of this previous history I immediately went to my doctor. My doctor however, was unable to determine if they were genital warts because they were so tiny, and didn't give me any idea of what else they could be. Her advice was to wait about a month to see if they would grow or multiply.

Since I discovered them they do not appear to have grown larger and don't appear to be spreading. However it is my understanding that genital warts can stay the same size and remain few in number. Could they be something like fordyce spots? Is one month too long to wait to do anything? Please help. I'm really unaware of what I should do.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be contact dermatitis, rash due to friction rub, folliculitis, cysts ,molluscum contagiosum(multiple, small, dome-shaped papules, often with a central depression or plug) or genital warts(caused by HPV infection).

Apply warm compresses, Neosporin ointment and calamine lotion and avoid messing with it. You  can take anti-inflammatory pain killers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If the lumps persist then it will be best to get it evaluated from a dermatologist.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[isd1980]

Thank you for your response. Upon further investigation I believe that I can make out about 8 bumps (1 being prominent, the others being very tiny). The problem is that they are so small that I'm having trouble distinguishing them from what could be skin tags or normal skin bumps. For a visual they are about as big as period (.) and can only be seen when the skin is stretched out tightly. I have an appointment to see my doctor and am hoping I will get an approval to see a dermatologist. Of all the things you mentioned they seem likely to be molluscum contagiosum but I am afraid that they could be genital warts. They don't seem to be growing or spreading. Thanks again for your advice. Any other feedback you have is greatly welcomed.