Have You Ever Heard of Pearly Penile Papules?

Pearly Penile Papules are often the cause of worries for a lot of young men. The professional expression is Hirsuties papillaris genitalis while in the past they were also called Tyson's glands.

Pearly Penile Papules - The appearance

Pearly Penile Papules are small, white-yellow bumps on a penis that are actually a normal variation of the skin's appearance. Usually they are arranged in a few lines, their surface is smooth, lifted from the rest of the skin, in form of a cupola or a little thread. Most men have a small number of pearly penile papules which are smaller than 1 mm. Around 10 percent of men have numerous little papules arranged in more lines but they never rise above the penis glans. Men describe them as little 'spots', 'white dots' or 'white bumps' on the penis. But they become less visible with age.

Pearly Penile Papules - The cause

Pearly penile papules appear very often and are not dangerous, most often they occur in puberty or during the most active part of one's sexual life. The cause is yet unknown. However, it is known that they are not caused by the lack of hygiene and they are not transmitted with sexual contact. They appear more often with uncircumcised men where the presence is between 22 and 44 percents, while with circumcised men the percentage is between 7 and 12 percents.

Men who are younger than 30 years are much more exposed to pearly penile papules, but their number diminishes with age. They are not a sign of a sexual disease or any other disease and they do not form into tumors.

Pearly Penile Papules - Diagnosis 

Men who notice white spots on their penis usually visit a doctor in case they contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Normally the doctor excludes the possibility of an illness like condylomata (anal or genital warts). Despite similarities, the difference lies in the tissue, so the doctor confirms the diagnosis with a biopsy.

Pearly Penile Papules - The treatment

The treatment of pearly penile papules is unnecessary because the change is not pathological. Most dermatologists advise against removing them because they are completely unproblematic. If the pain, redness and an itchy feeling are present then you have contracted a different disease. Even though the pearly penile papules can cause aesthetic or psychological problems for men, they can be remove with laser therapy, electro therapy, scraping or even a surgical procedure. Various creams and medicines as well as freezing are not effective. If a man decides for a procedure he has to consult the dermatologist or a plastic surgeon first. If he tries to remove them himself, an infection can appear and the papules reappear quickly, usually in two weeks.

Effect on sexual life

Pearly penile papules do not cause any problems, but men avoid intercourse mostly because they feel unattractive and embarrassed. Men also avoid sexual contact because they think women will reject them which is usually not the case. If they knew how many men are faced with the same problem, they would probably change their mind.

More advice on penile and testicular diseases in our Lover's Guide.

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