Can brown lesions on the penis be a sign of DPN ?

Question

Hello doctor,

The STD test that I took last month turned out to be negative, and I have not been sexually active for two years since I got diagnosed with two conditions by my dermatologist; DPN on my face, neck, stomach, and groin area and contact dermatitis or allergy, due to which most soaps irritant my skin. With that being said, I have a few questions that I need your opinion on. There are two small brown lesions on the neck of my penis which look exactly like the DPN on my face, neck, and chest. Can DPN appear on the neck of the penis? Or could rough masturbation cause similar-looking bumps or lesions? I also found two tiny black bumps on the shaft of the penis. What could be the cause for that? I have attached the images of my lesions. Also, I do not have any symptoms otherwise.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query and can understand your concern.

I went through the images you have attached (attachments removed to protect the patient's privacy); I could see tiny, preferably less than five millimeters, isolated papules on the shaft of the penis, which is three in number, and present at different locations on the penis. There are no other lesions observed in the picture attached.

DPN (dermatosis papulosa nigra) is a benign skin condition characterized by multiple, small, hyperpigmented, asymptomatic papules on the face and chest of the individual. Usually, it does not appear on the shaft of the penis and mainly affects the head, neck, and upper trunk, and I do not think that the lesion in your penis is DPN.
Also, it is not an STD (sexually transmitted disease) as your STD panel test came out negative, and there was no sexual exposure for two years. Also, it is not due to rough masturbation because rough masturbation would not cause a pinpoint lesion. Rather, the lesion would be slightly larger and elongated if rough masturbation is done in the prone position on the bed without the use of the hand.
Now, to answer your question, what could it be? It would be helpful if you could answer a few questions. Firstly, what is the duration of the lesion? Has it appeared recently, or has it present for months? Do you have any associated symptoms like mild itching?
It appears very benign and might disappear on its own without any complications. However, if it is present for a longer duration, you may need to visit a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis by examining the lesion and through tests.

I hope this helps.

Revert in case of further queries.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Pearly penile papules (PPP) are painless and benign lesions present in rows around the corona of the glans penis (tip of the penis) in late adolescence or early adulthood. These lesions usually present as white papules that are one to two millimeters in diameter, orienting around the corona of the glans penis, usually in one to two rows, and I think this is neither PPP nor DPN. As you say, hyperpigmentation could be due to the healing from contact dermatitis. It appears as a very benign lesion, so please do not worry. I suggest you wait and watch if it disappears on its own; if you find any new changes or they do not subside, please visit a dermatologist to assess better and diagnose it.

Kindly follow up after a few weeks on the status of the lesion.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.