Medical Information Immediately: Penile melanosis: What to know

Penile melanosis is a uncommon situation that causes discolored areas of pores and skin on the top and shaft of the penis.

These patches are darkish brown and could also be barely or considerably darker than the encircling pores and skin on the penis.

Penile melanosis doesn’t trigger some other signs. The situation isn’t infectious or contagious, and there’s no approach to go it on to different folks. Nonetheless, the precise trigger remains to be unknown.

Penile melanosis is usually innocent and doesn’t require therapy. Some folks might select to have beauty procedures to take away the spots, although.

On this article, be taught extra about penile melanosis, together with the causes, related circumstances, and therapy choices.

Share on PinterestMedical doctors have no idea what causes penile melanosis.

Penile melanosis refers to patches of brown or darkish brown pores and skin on the penis. These spots are sometimes giant and flat, with each showing alone.

Melanin is likely one of the most important pigments within the pores and skin, and other people with extra melanin have a darker pores and skin tone. Melanosis refers to a buildup of melanin.

Penile melanosis might also contain different pigment compounds within the pores and skin, reminiscent of:

hemosiderinlipofuscinferrous sulfate

As these pigment compounds construct up, they’ll trigger a noticeable change within the pores and skin’s shade. This hyperpigmentation seems in patches on the penis, relatively than affecting all the penis.

Medical doctors should not positive why some folks develop penile melanosis. It’s merely a buildup of pigment cells throughout the pores and skin, which may happen in different places as nicely.

Nonetheless, potential danger components which will improve an individual’s possibilities of growing penile melanosis embrace:

Age: Whereas penile melanosis can have an effect on folks of any age, it principally seems between the ages of 15 and 72 years.Genetics: There could also be a genetic element to penile melanosis.Accidents: Earlier harm to the penis might play a job, because the formation of scar tissue can result in hyperpigmentation.Sure pores and skin remedies: Therapy with sure medicine, reminiscent of anthralin or PUVA remedy, might improve the chance of penile melanosis.

Penile melanosis and lichen sclerosus

Penile melanosis might also have a hyperlink to a different unusual pores and skin situation referred to as lichen sclerosus.

Lichen sclerosus causes skinny, pale patches of pores and skin, often within the genitals or fingers. A 2017 case examine of an older man discovered an affiliation between the penile melanosis and lichen sclerosus on his penis.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply that one among these circumstances causes the opposite. It merely means that there could also be a hyperlink between them.

Penile melanosis and most cancers

Some folks might fear that discolorations reminiscent of these will result in melanoma, a type of pores and skin most cancers. Penile melanoma may be very uncommon.

Penile melanoma might trigger darker spots of pores and skin much like these of penile melanosis, however sometimes simply on the top of the penis. These might develop, change shade, and bleed.

When a health care provider diagnoses penile melanosis, they are going to make sure to rule out the potential for the lesions being cancerous. Subsequently, as soon as they’ve confirmed their analysis, because of this the lesions should not placing the particular person liable to most cancers.

An individual might even see a dermatologist at set intervals to observe the situation and make sure that there aren’t any indicators of melanoma. There isn’t a direct proof that penile melanosis will result in most cancers, nonetheless.

As penile melanosis is a straightforward buildup of pigment cells within the pores and skin, it doesn’t require any therapy.

Nonetheless, if an individual feels that the pigment on the pores and skin makes the penis ugly or makes their sexual companions uncomfortable, there are beauty therapy choices accessible. In lots of instances, it’s potential to take away the patches of pigmented pores and skin.

Laser remedy might assist take away pigmented pores and skin lesions or cut back their look. As a beauty process, laser remedy may also take away sunspots, scars, and even pigment from tattoos.

This course of can take time, and an individual will typically want a number of periods to take away the pigment. In some instances, the pigmentation won’t go away utterly however will get considerably fainter.

Some folks might want to have surgical procedure to take away the spots. Surgical procedure for penile melanosis includes eradicating the pores and skin with the pigment and grafting new pores and skin to the realm.

Therapeutic after surgical procedure takes time. The surgical procedure might also depart small scars, which will be ugly if the particular person is fearful in regards to the look of their penis.

Elimination procedures are solely pores and skin deep, and they need to not have an effect on an individual’s sexual well being or their potential to urinate.

Penile melanosis is a innocent situation. It happens attributable to a buildup of pigment within the pores and skin, which types small darkish lesions on the penis.

As that is the one symptom, the situation doesn’t require therapy. Nonetheless, some folks nonetheless go for eradicating the lesions or lightening them to scale back their look.

Anybody who does undergo therapy to take away the lesions shouldn’t discover any adjustments within the operate of their penis or their sexual well being.

Discoloration on the penis can happen because of varied causes, so anybody who notices any lesions or different adjustments ought to discuss to a health care provider or dermatologist for a analysis.