redness on shaft

[spruced2014]

Have had this redness on my penis shaft for over 6 months now.  Is always present, never goes away only gets more pronounced and less pronounced.  Have 5 pics in my profile, at light redness to moderate redness.  At one point before any redness on the shaft started I walked to work in the rain and got soaked and had to work in wet clothes all day in a kitchen.  Few days later I noticed 1 single red bump on glans.  Few days later 1 noticed a few tiny white bumps on shaft but not where the redness is.  After those went away the redness on the shaft started and has not gone away.  At one point I also noticed a different textured patch of skin on the glans but that went away too.  It doesn't really itch at all.  at the times when its bright  red it feels like a slight burning with a little itch, hard to explain.  Redness is more pronounced at night, in the morning, and after any type of sex.  Redness is at its least in the middle of the day.  Again redness is always there, has never disappeared only gets more/less pronounced.  I have seen 3 different dermatologists and 3 GPs and they all told me something different.  They all seem to agree it is not an STD, however one says seb derm, another says psoriasis, another says eczema, another says fungus, another says nothing.  Have been put on 3 different corticos.  None of the topical steroids made the redness go away at all.  They actually made it more pronounced.  Have been on econozole and a few OTC topical antifungals, again redness never has gone away.  Have been put on protopic, again redness never went away.  My last visit with the doctor he told me he doesn't know.  What do  I do?

[dobro300]

A related discussion, Redness on my penis shaft was started.

[maori1]

Hi Spruced:  I have something very similar to you and have been tested and swabbed for herpes which turned up negative aside from HSV1 Cold sore virus.  Do you get a slight burning feeling with your redness as well? Like 1 -2 out of 10 low level? Ive had this for 5 months and it is driving me insane. Sometimes it goes and looks normal then wham it comes back within a day or so..sometimes no feelings at all and then the redness and slight burning returns.  Always a pinkish redness like yours always present.  How does this relate to your own experience? All my best wishes brother..

[spruced2014]

The steroids did not help at all, they did not make it any less red they actually made it more red.  And it gets deeper red without even touching anything.  I can actually just be standing there with no movement.  It does slightly itch when inflammed

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Thanks for posting your query.

I can understand your concern for these symptoms.

The redness does not look like any STD’s and I agree with your doctors that it can be due to dermatitis skin. The other possibility which I can think of is chafing. From the symptom that redness is more pronounced at night, in the morning, and after any type of sex gives chafing an edge over other possibilities.

Chafing is a continuous rubbing of the skin that causes redness or soreness.  It occurs when the skin becomes irritated by the friction caused by rubbing – either against other skin or against a foreign material. Even sweating of the area and rubbing the legs together when sleeping could be causing sweat dermatitis and chafing.

Wash the area 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. Also wear cotton undergarments and maintain the temperature in your homes. Maintain hygiene and try to keep the area clean and dry, wear loose-fitting cotton clothing. Also use mild soap like dove. Avoid deodorant or any kind of cosmetics. Although you are benefitting from application of steroid, you should use it under medical supervision because topical steroids have a number of side effects like telangiectasia and skin thinning.

If the redness persists then I would suggest you to get a biopsy skin and a KOH examination of the skin scrapings done to confirm the diagnosis. Although it does not look like a fungal infection or balanitis but to completely rule it out you need to get an examination and these investigations done.

Hope that this information helps and hope that you get better soon.

Wishing you good health.