Itchy and now Sore red groin area. Scrotum looks like a brain?

[VoidG]

I've had this rash on my penis for weeks, and it looks very serious (feels like it too). It started when the outside of my anus started to itch. It was unbearable and I ended up scratching it at night half asleep half awake. After a few days it spread to the hairs next to it, and I ended up scratching that too. 1 or 2 days later it hurt and felt like it was scabbed. So I left it alone and ignored the itch thinking it would heal. But it didn't. Instead, it spread in a straight line from the outside of my anus to the bottom of my scrotum. Then it spread over the whole scrotum area and was very itchy. I used gold bond powder to stop the itch, but at night it would always wear off and become itchy again. Recently my scrotum skin started to look like a brain. Red, glossy looking, and just a tiny bit of itch. On the sides of the scrotum, on the thigh, has started to look like a flat red-pink scar. Not a big area, but just following the scrotum. My penis has started to feel the affect of my scrotum too. The head is just fine, but the skin below it is starting to burn-itch a little. Above my penis there are flat red dots all over where the hair is. My anus area is fine now. I have tried using Lotrimin Ultra Antifungal Jock Itch Cream but it just stopped the itch and didn't heal anything. I am currently using Lanacane Maximum Strength Anti-Itch Cream and it burns like hell. This problem occurred a few months ago so I went to the dermatologist and all he said was "Hm... It looks like something irritated the heck out of it" and he gave me this box of small green&white plastic wrapper (Like a condom wrapper) that contained some sort of green gel. I put it on the affected areas and it burned like hell, but it went away in a week or so. If I remember correctly it has alcohol (something). Please help me, I nearly cry from the buring-stinging pain after and durinig showers, especially if soap touches the bottom of my balls.

[Rhonam]

My son seems to have had an itch on his penis for sometime now, it started in the summer shortly after starting football, he is 14.5.  It doesn't seem to bother him much in the day, usually at night so I just figured it was a mental thing, tonight however as he was scratching he thought there was tape on the rim right below the head but it was just the skin that felt like plastic, what could this be

[Daylen1245]

I have the same problem and am trying to figire it out.

[Jelbenet]

I've had allergic reactions to a number of ointments & creams that caused my scrotum to burn, itch and swell up looking like a brain. Occasionally I've had warts cryogenically burned off my wiener. The Dr. usually prescribes some kind of cream or ointment to use on my wiener so it will heal the parts that got treated cryogenically.
The 1st time he prescribed Neosporin and that made my scrotum swell up like a brain, burn and itch. He said to stop the Neosporin and take Benedryl. The Benedryl actually made it worse. I stopped both and it cleared up in under a week.
The 2nd time I had warts burned off (a couple years later), he said use antibiotic ointment, which again caused my scrotum to swell up, itch and burn. He then said to stop the antibiotic ointment and use Hydrocortisone cream, but that made it worse also. I stopped both and it cleared up in around a week.
Now you think I would have learned by now but a few years later I went back to have more warts burned off. A new dermatologist said because of my past experiences with those creams and ointments, that I should try Bactracin because it was different enough that it shouldn't cause problems. Well, it caused the same symptoms as the others.
I washed it off and waitied a few days, **then just used plain old petroleum jelly and that seemed to not cause any reaction.**

******It was the ointments and creams themselves that caused to swelling, burning and itching. So for me, I just use Vaseline to protect cuts & scrapes.*****

I found out later also that I have become severely allergic to bandaid adhesive & ointments and creams on my shoulder as well. At least I was able to use Calamine lotion on my shoulder and the reaction subsided in a few days. The place where the bandaid adhesive was actually oozed out this yellowish puss out of my shoulder when I put the calamine lotion on it. (Never use Calamine lotion on your genitals).

So if you are like me, only use Petroleum Jelly and gauze with surgical tape tightly wrapped around the gauze but not touching the skin.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
The itch could be due to sweat dermatitis. It could also be a fungal infection like tinea cruris. Keep the area dry, wear loose fitting clothes, and change undergarments at least twice a day. Many treatment options are there like Clotrimazole 1%, Miconazole nitrate 2%, Tolnaftate 1%, ketoconazole, terfibnafine and Butenafine hydrochloride 1%. Many OTC products containing these salts are available, your pharmacist can help. Try a combination of two and apply until the round marks you see disappear. Continue application for 2 weeks after the marks disappear. The cause for persistence is that the treatment is often left in between. After the itch and dryness goes, you have to continue applying for at least another 2 weeks for the infection to be completely cured from the lower most layer of the skin. Wash your hands well and dry them properly both before and after the application. Meanwhile test for blood sugar level to see if it is high for diabetes too can prevent resolution of fungal infection. Take any anti-allergic tablet or antihistamine to overcome itching.
The other possibilities are eczema, contact dermatitis (with soaps, solutions, and other items of personal care) or even a bacterial infection and STD. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage without examining the rash. Do consult your doctor as the treatment will depend on diagnosis. Take care!