Folliculitis or something else?

[sol456]

Forgive the long story, but was hoping on some insight... on Monday night, i noticed a small bump in my pubic area, a couple inches above my penis. It felt sorta like a pimple under the skin, like you could expect on the face. I didnt give it much thought at the time. The next morning it was somewhat swollen and red, like a bugbite. So... since im smart like this, i decided i'd try my best to squeeze it out forcibly. well nothing really came out, and all i ended up doing was scraping/bruising the skin a little. Obviously i squeezed too hard. It got more painful and throughout the day, very tender. By that night it had developed into a tiny open sore. i cleaned it and didnt really worry.

Wednesday morning i had a swollen 2.5in red area, painfully tender. The sore was tough and firm, almost hard. After a shower that night, the scab fell off, leaving a small 3mm wide, irregular shaped open sore, with a whitish tissue as the base. not too deep, maybe just a touch more than a half millimeter. i googled, and only ended up with more questions and paranoid. our doc was closed for holidays, and not available for another week. By today, the following Tuesday(7 days total), it hasnt really gotten any wider (1/2 cm), or 'deeper', but still a dark red and whitish tissue base on it. Moist only when covered by a bandaid, dry otherwise. The reddness and swelling is all but gone now, and does not hurt, aside from the slight sting when i wipe with an alchohol pad. hell, i almost forget its there sometimes. it still doesnt really wanna scab over, but doesnt *seem* to be getting worse...

It never itched, and i never noticed any unusal illness or muscle soreness. It never filled with any pus or oozed anything, but was only painful for a few days. I saw the doc earlier today and quite hurriedly, he glanced and dismissed it as folliculitis and tossed me an Rx for a cream. Tried telling him i only shaved last night but insists on folliculitus and didnt even ask how it started. I have to wait a few days to see a dermatologist for a 2nd opinion, but does this sound like folliculitis to anyone else? i never heard of it turning into an open sore =/ Just infection? I cringe to think it could be a std... doc didnt seem concerned with that possibility so... hmm. any thoughts?

Kept track of it just in case with pics, if it helps:
Day 2 - http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8122/pc301431.jpg
Day 3 - http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6168/pc311445.jpg
Day 4 - http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2919/p1011447.jpg
Day 5 - http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3462/p1021450.jpg
Day 6 - http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7353/p1031458.jpg
Day 7 - http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/8365/p1041467.jpg

[imdorky13]

Did you ever figure out what this was??

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to folliculitis, friction blisters of herpes sores if they are painful. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak.

My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist to get the diagnosis confirmed. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[sol456]

Thank you for your reply. Its finally healing well, and almost closed. i give it another week until its completely gone. But now I'm slightly worried if it could have been a chancre. No other symptoms come to mind tho... i've also noticed 3 pinkish 'bumps', almost like very tiny blisters (maybe a mm diameter) they dont itch and do not bother me; but they are in the same pubic area (not the genitals and not related to the sore i dont think). i would have never known they were there if i hadn't shaved, so no clue how long i've had em. could they be warts?

i cant get to a dermatologist until around the 27th(!). would i be better off going to a STD testing center? since my only concern now is chancre and those 3 "bumps", im not sure if i would benefit much from a dermatologist over the testing center. =/ ???

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like an infected hair follicle or a cyst which you have scrapped off. You have not mentioned anything about your sexual history but if you are sexually active then syphilis chancre( although less likely)  needs to be ruled out.

Keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Also wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove. Avoid any kind of cosmetics. Topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment are also useful. In case the symptoms persist then oral antibiotics may be needed.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.