help please

[jammaster]

Okay here goes. About 4 months ago i went camping and noticed a small red dot on my penis under the foreskin. About a month later almost half of the right side of my penis head is red. The mark is shinny when erect and when flacid the mark is wrinkled. when head is first exposed it looks as if there is nothing there but as soon as air hits it about 1-2 mins later the spot is red again. it looks as if it is slightly raised because it is not flush with the rest of my head. I had surgery to remove a wart approx 3 years ago and the wart was inside the hole of my penis. i have not had sex for over a year before the spot appeared. I went to the doctor last week and he said it was either bacterial or fungal and prescribed omoxocillyn and econazole cream. there has been no progress in this past week.  I searched the web and it resembles balantis because at one point it was severly red and is now more toward the pink side. How long does anti-fungal cream take to work? Could it be more warts? i put white vinegar on it and there was no change. please help i am very scared. there is no fluid or smell or pain or blood it is just unsightly.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

You have nothing to be scared about.  This does not sound like a wart (warts are raised, and aren't red), and it certainly doesn't sound like a bacteria or a fungus, which is why I think it hasn't responded to the treatments you were given for these.  I think you should see a doctor who is perhaps more familiar with penis rashes.  meantime, don't rub or closely examine the red spot, which is probably just from irritation.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff