Dr. Arshad Hussain Shah
Medical oncology
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I have been diagnosed with Stage IIIA hodgkin's lymphoma and Nodular Sclerosis and have undergone two doses of ABVD. I had an intense scrotal itch two years back, and it still persists today. I am 23 years old and I never had any issues with scrotal itching. In the first year of my scrotal itch, the itching was only limited to the sides of my scrotum. There was no oozing. No matter how much I scratched. Hydrocortisone usually solves the itch.
In the last few months, my scrotum started to ooze a clear fluid whenever I scratched too intensely. The fluid will then harden, forming a layer on top of my scrotum. Breakage of this layer will result in further oozing. If no further insult occurs, the layer will flake off, revealing a normal-looking scrotum without rashes or redness. The process then repeats itself. The itch had spread to my perianal region and inner thighs in the last few weeks. There are two patches of white dry skin on both my inner thighs. The white skin disappears upon moisturizing.
Can the scrotal itching be due to my cancer? Or could it be scrotal eczema or a fungal infection?
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Your case is a hodgkin's lymphoma (nodular sclerosing) stage III. Usually, many patients with Hodgkin's disease have associated itching. It is called paraneoplastic itch. Because tumors secrets some substances that cause itching. Once the tumor is melted down with chemotherapy, the itching subsides.
But if these symptoms are recurrent and started initially two years before the diagnosis of Lymphoma, then it is unlikely due to Lymphoma. It can be a skin disorder (chronic pruritus, eczema, and recurrent scabies). Because of scratching, it can get infected and produce discharge. So it is better to consult a skin specialist and your primary oncologist.
It is difficult to comment without seeing and examining these lesions.
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Medical oncology
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