residual bump?

I was diagnosed with genital warts a couple of years ago. I had them (several) primarily scattered about the base of my penis. I've had them treated and now find myself cleared. I think. During the course of treatment I had several recurrences. It seems now my immune system has gotten a handle on the virus as I do not get recurrences any longer. However, there may be one possible exception. I had a wart on the shaft of my penis that I had my dermatologist freeze off. A few months later it returned as a tiny red bump. I had it treated with some kind of "acid treatment" at a planned parenthood clinic. This was seven months ago. Now, I notice a very small red bumb on the same spot. It's not very noticeable. I had to really examine closely. In light of the fact that I no longer am developing warts anywhere else, is it possible that this is just a sort of residual bump; a kind of non-active left-over if you will. It just seems odd that a wart would persist in that spot after two or more treatments (I also used Aldara), when I am not experiencing problems in any other area. Could you shed some light on this for me? Thanks so much.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It's really impossible for me to know what the lesion is.  After warts resolve, scar tissue often can persist and appear as a bump in the same spot where a wart previously existed.  On the other hand, that shouldn't normally be red in color.  But it could be a wart itself; Aldara isn't a great drug, successful in only about 60% of genital wart cases.

Bottom line:  See a health care provider, perhaps preferably a dermatologist.

Good luck--  HHH, MD