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STDs (Expert Forum)
Another Warts Thread
Answered by
Edward W Hook, MD - HIV Prevention, stds
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
Another Warts Thread
by ConcernedCitizen270, Oct 28, 2007 12:00PM
To start off with I began a medication, Imuran for Crohn's disease in January 2007. It is an immune system suppressant. Right after that I managed to develop a few small white bumps on my penis (3) and a few on the underside of my scrotum. They seemed to be on a pore each time and have a hair extending from it or next to it more commonly.
If I squeezed one gently, a little hard white substance would come out. In fact I was able to use tweezers and grab the very top of the small bump and completely pluck out the white substance in a small glob. They never come back after that in that location.
Occasionally, especially (only?) after I shave my pubic area, some bumps that seem to eject directly from a pore appear on my inner thighs or above my penis, not on it. They don't extend outside of a pore sized area, just straight out. If I do the same, use tweezers(grab and pluck), a small white glob is is removed. It will bleed briefly and after a day or two they heal over.
These look nothing like any wart/HPV pictures I can find. Not to mention anything wart symptom describing a white substance other than a pimple or something else similar.
I've no idea if this is simply a form of folliculitis or something else. I plan to see a dermatologist about this but am wondering for my own personal research sake, what is it? Is it an STD? If it is something like folliculitis, will a simple anti-biotic take care of it? Thank you for your time.
If I squeezed one gently, a little hard white substance would come out. In fact I was able to use tweezers and grab the very top of the small bump and completely pluck out the white substance in a small glob. They never come back after that in that location.
Occasionally, especially (only?) after I shave my pubic area, some bumps that seem to eject directly from a pore appear on my inner thighs or above my penis, not on it. They don't extend outside of a pore sized area, just straight out. If I do the same, use tweezers(grab and pluck), a small white glob is is removed. It will bleed briefly and after a day or two they heal over.
These look nothing like any wart/HPV pictures I can find. Not to mention anything wart symptom describing a white substance other than a pimple or something else similar.
I've no idea if this is simply a form of folliculitis or something else. I plan to see a dermatologist about this but am wondering for my own personal research sake, what is it? Is it an STD? If it is something like folliculitis, will a simple anti-biotic take care of it? Thank you for your time.
Doctor's Answer
by Edward W Hook, MD, Oct 28, 2007 09:25PM
, Oct 28, 2007 09:25PM
I will not practice medicine over the internet but I will tell you what these sound like. To be really sure, you should see a health care provider who is familiar with the two most likely possibilities, molluscum contagiosum or follicultitis. Both problems to have a tendency to recur. Antibiotics do not play a major role in the management of either one.
The lesions that you describe could certainly be molluscum contagiosum which is caused by a virus. Expressing the characterisitc white core from lesions often cures them. Some practioners clean the area with alcohol after expressing the core of the lesions to also increase the chance of cure. Because molluscum is a chronic viral infection, they do tend to recur. In your case, the Imuran you take suppresses your immune system a little. The good news about this mild immune suppression is that it helps to keep your Crohn's disease in check but a side effect is that it may also may make controlling molluscum a bit more difficult. If the tempo of your recurrent molluscum lesions increases you may want to talk with your doctor about it.
The other possibility is, as you mention, folliculitis. Folliculitis is an inflammation of the pores of your skin. The best way to manage folliculitis is to reduce your risk for it with use of a wash cloth or even a "loofa" sponge when you bathe. Both the wash cloth and loofa help remove dead skin cells which can clog up the pores on surface of your skin, leading to folliculitis. Many people find that shaving the pubic area tends to increase the frequency of recurrent follicultis. Antibiotics are not much help for folliculitis.
Hope this helps. EWH
The lesions that you describe could certainly be molluscum contagiosum which is caused by a virus. Expressing the characterisitc white core from lesions often cures them. Some practioners clean the area with alcohol after expressing the core of the lesions to also increase the chance of cure. Because molluscum is a chronic viral infection, they do tend to recur. In your case, the Imuran you take suppresses your immune system a little. The good news about this mild immune suppression is that it helps to keep your Crohn's disease in check but a side effect is that it may also may make controlling molluscum a bit more difficult. If the tempo of your recurrent molluscum lesions increases you may want to talk with your doctor about it.
The other possibility is, as you mention, folliculitis. Folliculitis is an inflammation of the pores of your skin. The best way to manage folliculitis is to reduce your risk for it with use of a wash cloth or even a "loofa" sponge when you bathe. Both the wash cloth and loofa help remove dead skin cells which can clog up the pores on surface of your skin, leading to folliculitis. Many people find that shaving the pubic area tends to increase the frequency of recurrent follicultis. Antibiotics are not much help for folliculitis.
Hope this helps. EWH
If it is Molluscum Contagiosum, once the infection is gone, will it come back later or can I infect others with it?