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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
small brown spots on penis.
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
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small brown spots on penis.
by jstwondering, Jan 08, 2004 12:00AM
Hello. I’m a 26 year old male and recently I noticed four small brown spots that seemed to have appeared "overnight" (or almost, anyway). They are all smaller than the size of a pinhead, and 3 are located at the base of my penis (below the hair line) and one is on the top of the shaft, up more toward the middle. The three at the base are not clustered together; they are evenly distributed around the base. All of them are NOT raised off the skin at all. They’re the same texture as the surrounding skin. No pain.
The one on the bottom of the base is a darker brown than the other three and it's also the biggest (which, like I said before, is very very small). It seems to be pretty much round but not perfectly and it’s further into the hair growth than the other two at the base.
The other two at the base are on opposite sides and seem to be more-or-less right at the hairline. These two and the one further up the shaft are all a lighter brown than the fourth one. Also, these three seem like they might be elongated, but that just might be because the skin stretches a bit. And when I stretch out the skin more, one of the lighter colored ones looks like it’s either crescent shape, or the middle is normal skin color (not brown).
Lastly (sorry for the lengthiness), the maybe-crescent-shaped one and the one near the middle of the shaft don’t seem to have as clearly defined a border on them as the other two.
So, doc, what do you think these are? Freckles? Moles? I’m not extremely freaking out over this because I know you can get benign moles/freckles on the genitals (I have one on my glans – been there for years, no problems with it), but I am a little concerned because of the sudden appearance and the fact that there is more than one. I made an appt for my derm, but I can’t get in till sometime next month (!) so I want to know what you think in the meantime. If the spots go away or don’t get any bigger, I’m probably going to cancel the appointment anyway because they’re so tiny (only noticeable to the trained eye – mine! haha). OH-- I should mention that I’ve had a fair amount of direct sunlight exposure to my genitals in the last month or two (don’t ask). Might this be the cause?
The one on the bottom of the base is a darker brown than the other three and it's also the biggest (which, like I said before, is very very small). It seems to be pretty much round but not perfectly and it’s further into the hair growth than the other two at the base.
The other two at the base are on opposite sides and seem to be more-or-less right at the hairline. These two and the one further up the shaft are all a lighter brown than the fourth one. Also, these three seem like they might be elongated, but that just might be because the skin stretches a bit. And when I stretch out the skin more, one of the lighter colored ones looks like it’s either crescent shape, or the middle is normal skin color (not brown).
Lastly (sorry for the lengthiness), the maybe-crescent-shaped one and the one near the middle of the shaft don’t seem to have as clearly defined a border on them as the other two.
So, doc, what do you think these are? Freckles? Moles? I’m not extremely freaking out over this because I know you can get benign moles/freckles on the genitals (I have one on my glans – been there for years, no problems with it), but I am a little concerned because of the sudden appearance and the fact that there is more than one. I made an appt for my derm, but I can’t get in till sometime next month (!) so I want to know what you think in the meantime. If the spots go away or don’t get any bigger, I’m probably going to cancel the appointment anyway because they’re so tiny (only noticeable to the trained eye – mine! haha). OH-- I should mention that I’ve had a fair amount of direct sunlight exposure to my genitals in the last month or two (don’t ask). Might this be the cause?
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Jan 08, 2004 12:00AM
, Jan 08, 2004 12:00AM
Perhaps the sun exposure just directed your attention to pre-existing freckles, though an actual burn, if you got one, might have brought them on. Either way, they're not likely to mean much. If I were you, I'd show the doctor once just to be sure, so you can forget about them.
Take care (and use sunblock!)
Dr. Rockoff
Take care (and use sunblock!)
Dr. Rockoff
