penis iritation

[stingydonut]

a little less than two weeks ago i noticed a raised red dry patch on the head of my penis. the following day i brought it to my girlfriends attention and she said maybe she has a yeast infection, she claims she was having some symptoms. it does not at all seem like herpes in that it is not a complex of sores nor does it itch or burn. i figured i would use some monostat cream on it in case it was a yeast infection. 3 days into the treatment i noticed an irritation on the underside of my penis below the glans. this one did itch ever so slightly. i continued to use the yeast infection cream on it but every time i was done taking a shower it would just dry right out again. the iritation on the head went away totally after about 5 days, but the monostat seems to not have any effect on the irritation on the underside. it actually seems to make it worse if anything. and the other day when i had an erection the dry skin cracked and its a little painful.  i quit using the monostat and just started to put petroleum jelly on it....... but after it is wiped off it goes right back to dry cracky and scaly, it is not really red unless i mess with it and its not even really something that you can see the skin just DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT, feels very rough and flaky. any other suggestions on WHAT this may be or what else i can use. is there any chance that i have just overused the monostat? i did apply quite allot of it!  it has only been about 24 hours since i stopped with the monostat should i give it more time? PS i am circumcised

[stingydonut]

this totally went away for about 4 days, and now has come back, it just looks like white dry skin on the surface and is totally painless and does not itch

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Definitely eczema is just a sort of dermatitis and will go away with appropriate treatment(topical steroids and plenty of moisturizers) and precautions.

Psoriasis is a non-contagious disorder which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin.It can be treated but it commonly has recurrences also.So a regular treatment is required for this.Treatment options include Ointment and creams containing coal tar, dithranol (anthralin), corticosteroids like desoximetasone (Topicort), vitamin D3 analogues (for example, calcipotriol), and retinoids,Psoralen+UVA and PUVB therapy. Over time, psoriasis can become resistant to a specific therapy. Treatments may be periodically changed to prevent resistance developing (tachyphylaxis) and to reduce the chance of adverse reactions occurring.

So it is important to confirm a diagnosis first and then start with a treatment.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.

[stingydonut]

thanks allot, now with eczema. is that something that will go away if taken care of? and also if it was psoriasis, does that ever clear up or is that a permanent thing that will always come back?    

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

From the symptoms you have mentioned, it seems to be a case of Eczema. It is a form of chronic dermatitis (rash).Allergic reaction is one of the important causes of eczema.
Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If the symptoms persist then other possibilities like psoriasis,lichen sclerosis and balanitis xerotica obliterans have to be ruled out.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.