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Dermatology  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Foliculitus or warts!
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.

Foliculitus or warts!

by billy dougan, Sep 13, 2007 03:46PM
A couple months back, I noticed about five bumps on the left side and five bumps on the right side on the base of the shaft of my penis after I shaved.  These bumps were not clumped on top of each other.  They were slightly darker in color than the normal surounding skin.  Each bump had a hair in the center of it so I though that it was folliculitus.  I booked an appointment with a derm.  When I arrived, it seemed that the derm specialized in cosmetics procedures such as acid peals and so forth.  When i saw the doc, I showed her my concern and she immediately said she though they were genital warts.  She performed a biopsy and coterized the wounds with liquid nitrogen.  She then went to the other side and burnt off the remainder.  

After the procedure, she told me that she thought it was genital warts and then said that it is rare for genital warts to be the only disease that one has if the warts develope.  She said i deffinately needed to get an hiv test.  Now I'm freakin out.  Genital warts? More diseases? Now maybe HIV?!  My question is does it sound to you like warts?  I didnt think a wart would form right arund a hair follicle and thats the case with all of the bumps.  Now I'm worried that I have all kinds of diseases including warts because of what the doc said.  Looks like my sex life if OVER!  Any help would be appreciated.

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Sep 15, 2007 09:58PM
To: billy dougan
You don't mention what the biopsy showed.  Even if it did show a wart, that doesn't mean you have HIV or other sexually-transmitted diseases.  Your dermatologist was doing the right thing by advising you to look into other possibilities, but that's just being thorough.  In all likelihood, the HIV test will be normal.  Meantime, you should ask her whether the biopsy did or didn't confirm the wart diagnosis, so you'll know for sure what thise bumps were.  Maybe they were indeed just folliculitis, in which case you have no concerns at all.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff
Member Comments (2)

by spur-star33, Sep 13, 2007 04:14PM
To: DR Rockoff
if you get the chance could you please give me an answer on my problem Penile irritaion http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/304042
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