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Infectious Penile Lesions
They all look alike, don't they? Test your diagnostic skills by identifying the type of infectious penile lesion in each of these four cases.
1. This 45-year-old woman’s skin has multiple small, soft, compressible papules, one of which is apt to bleed when scratched. She is concerned that these “cherry red” lesions are precancerous.
Diagnosis: Cherry angiomas, also known as de Morgan spots, are extremely common lesions; though usually asymptomatic, they may bleed with trauma. They occur most commonly as multiple asymptomatic lesions on the trunk and arms. These capillary hemangiomas are dome-shaped, small (0.1 to 0.5 cm in diameter), and bright red to violaceous; they can be flat, raised, or nodular.
Cherry angiomas form as a result of the development of multiple capillaries with narrow lumens and prominent endothelial cells arranged in a lobular pattern in the papillary dermis. Effective treatment options include curettage, laser ablation, and electrodesiccation.
For more information, see Kim, J-H, Park H-Y, Ahn SK. Cherry Angiomas on the Scalp. Case Rep Dermatol. 2009;1(1):82–86.