All You Need to Know About Hirsuties Papillaris Penis
According to abbreviationfinder, hirsuties papillaris penis are skin changes on the edge of the male glans, which resemble wart-like horny tips and can extend over the foreskin ligament. The anomalies have no disease value, but correspond to a harmless atavism. The treatment is not covered by health insurance since there is no medical need for therapy.
What is a hirsuties papillaris penis?
In hirsuties papillaris penis or hirsuties papillaris coronae glandis, wart-like skin changes form on the edge of the glans, which can appear white, skin-colored or reddish. In the German-speaking world, the tiny warts are sometimes referred to as horntips or horntips. The warts can extend from the edge of the glans to the foreskin of the penis.
The horn-like tips are also referred to in medicine as papillae coronae glandis, as papillomata coronae glandis or as penis papillomas. Papillomas are benign tumors. In the narrower sense, however, hirsuties papillaris penis is not a phenomenon with pathological value. Basically, there can be no question of a tumor disease.
The horntips are relatively common in Germany and occur in about 20 percent of all pubescent boys. Around 40 percent of all men worldwide are affected. Analogously, there is a similar wart disease of the female sex with the hirsuties papillaris vulvae, in which the tiny warts form in the area of the vulva. The female variant is much rarer compared to the male. However, the hirsuties papillaris vulvae are also not pathological.
Causes
The hirsuties papillaris penis are often associated with the wildest speculation about possible causes. Some sufferers think it is a malformation. Other patients assume they have a sexually transmitted disease. Still others recognize the horn tip as a symptom of another disease or attribute the condition to poor hygiene.
None of this is true. Instead, the phenomenon is a simple atavism that has no pathological value. There is always talk of atavism when anatomical features of the phylogenetic ancestors are developed again in a modern individual. Since the features do not fulfill any function in the current stage of development of the man, the horntips have probably receded in the course of evolution.
In this context, hirsuties papillaris penis, like the rudiments, belong to the evidence of evolution and are a normal symptom of atavism. However, since they do not affect all men, they are occasionally perceived as deformities or disfigurements.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
Patients with hirsuties papillaris penis discover skin changes on their genitals that look like horn-like tips. The changes are small in size and may vary in color. In addition to white horny tips, reddish or skin-colored tips can be present. In most cases, the lesion is concentrated around the edge of the glans.
A larger field is only affected in exceptional cases. For example, some patients discover horny horns extending from the edge of the glans to over the foreskin ligament. The wart-like formations do not cause any accompanying symptoms. They neither hurt nor cause itching.
Since it is not a symptom of an overarching disease and also not a disease in its own right, those affected remain largely asymptomatic. However, most patients are ashamed of the abnormal change during puberty and should therefore consider treatment.
Diagnosis & disease progression
Due to their typical appearance, the diagnosis of hirsuties papillaris penis turns out to be relatively easy. It can hardly be confused with the so-called Fordyce glands in the form of free sebaceous glands, confused with sebaceous cysts or misdiagnosed as contagious genital warts. The dermatologist makes the diagnosis from the atavism.
In terms of differential diagnosis, the phenomenon must be distinguished above all from molluscum contagiosum, which occurs predominantly in isolated form on the shaft of the penis and has a central dent. Differentiation from lichen planus, bowenoid papules, or condylomata lata of syphilis can also be relevant for differential diagnosis. The prognosis for patients with hirsuties papillaris penis is excellent.
Complications
Hirsuties papillaris penis causes abnormalities in the male sex organ. As a rule, these abnormalities do not lead to any particular symptoms or complications and therefore do not need to be treated either. However, they can lead to aesthetic complaints and thus trigger reduced self-esteem or inferiority complexes in men.
As a rule, the quality of life and life expectancy are not reduced or restricted by hirsuties papillaris penis. Those affected suffer from small tips on the glans. However, these little corners do not lead to pain or itching and therefore do not represent any particular restriction in everyday life. However, these complaints can lead to feelings of shame and insecurity, especially in children and adolescents, so that treatment is often necessary.
Without treatment, the patient may experience restricted sexual development. The treatment removes the symptoms completely, so there are no further complications or changes on the skin. However, scars can form. As a rule, a doctor will explain the possible risks of the procedure before the treatment.
When should you go to the doctor?
With a hirsuties papillaris penis, a doctor’s visit is not absolutely necessary. The skin changes on the penis are not pathological and can also occur without medical treatment. Normally, no further health problems develop. A shortened life expectancy is also not to be expected. A doctor’s visit is only necessary if the optical flaw of the squirrel-like structure becomes a mental problem for the person concerned.
If you experience stressful emotions such as feelings of shame or disgust, it is advisable to see a doctor. If there are problems in the partnership, withdrawal behavior or the avoidance of interpersonal contacts, there is a need for action. If the skin changes lead to a change in behavior or personality, a doctor should be consulted. In the case of abnormalities such as depressive phases, melancholy or an aggressive appearance, a doctor should be consulted.
If sexual dysfunction occurs due to hirsuties papillaris penis, a doctor’s visit is recommended. If the skin lesions are intentionally scratched or damaged, health problems can occur. If the wound is not properly treated, pathogens can get into the organism and lead to further diseases. A check-up visit to a doctor is necessary because in severe cases there is a risk of blood poisoning. You should therefore see a doctor if pain sets in, reddening of the skin, itching or the formation of pus.
Treatment & Therapy
From a medical point of view, there is no need to treat hirsuties papillaris penis. The removal of the wart-like structures does not have to take place, nor does drug treatment. However, if the patient with the horntips feels uncomfortable, treatment should still be considered to ensure carefree sexual development.
Since there is no medical need for treatment, the costs of treating hirsuties papillaris penis are not covered by health insurance. In most cases, patients therefore decide against removal as soon as they are made aware of the sometimes high prevalence and harmlessness of the skin changes. In individual cases, patients decide to have the horn tips removed for purely cosmetic reasons.
Removal is usually done as part of a laser treatment or cryotherapy. The patient is under local anesthesia during the removal. The treatment is carried out by a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. Removal is preceded by education that indicates the risk of disruptive scarring. As soon as this information has been provided, the number of people willing to be treated is reduced by at least half.
Outlook & Forecast
Hirsuties papillaris penis is a non-morbid phenomenon. In 30 to 40 percent of all men, so-called horn tips can form on the glans during puberty. It is an age-old hereditary condition that can occur in every third man. Extremely rarely, women also suffer from horn tips on the vagina.
Since hirsuties papillaris penis is not a disease, it does not require treatment. However, the horn tip can lead to mental stress. This is especially true when large papules appear. Many men perceive these as unaesthetic and abnormal. Partly this raises the concern that it is a serious disease that is contagious. More often, however, horn tips evoke a feeling of shame in front of the partner. The assumption arises that the partner might perceive the papules as deterrent and contagious. This stress can lead to erectile dysfunction in men. In this sense, Hirsuties papillaris penis has a disease value.
In some cases, however, purely psychological support no longer helps. Cosmetic surgery is often the only remedy here. Surgical removal of the horn tips usually goes well. However, in a few cases, scars remain, which are also unaesthetic and can lead to functional restrictions of the penis. It is also possible for the papules to recur after an operation.
Prevention
Hirsuties papillaris penis cannot be prevented because it is a harmless atavism.
Aftercare
In the case of hirsuties papillaris penis, those affected usually do not have any special measures for direct follow-up care. The disease itself does not necessarily have to be treated, since it does not threaten the life of the person affected and is usually only an aesthetic complaint. Therefore, no direct treatment is necessary for hirsuties papillaris penis if it is not absolutely desired by the person concerned.
The disease itself can be alleviated with a simple surgical procedure. The operation usually proceeds without complications. After that, the person concerned should protect and care for the area around the penis particularly well. It is often necessary to take antibiotics to prevent inflammation.
The person concerned should take these regularly and also in the right dosage. Furthermore, some check-ups by a doctor are useful after the procedure. If the hirsuties papillaris penis is not treated, psychological upsets may occur. In many cases, intensive discussions with your partner or family help to prevent depression or other psychological upsets.
You can do that yourself
As a rule, no special therapy or treatment is necessary for hirsuties papillaris penis. Since in most cases the affected person does not suffer from any particular symptoms or pain, no self-help measures need to be taken to treat this disease.
However, many sufferers can be ashamed of the disease. The person concerned should definitely talk to their partner about these feelings of shame in order to avoid further psychological problems or depression. Contact with other sufferers or talking to a doctor can also significantly reduce and limit these feelings of shame. Above all, the partner must offer the patient support and strengthen their self-esteem.
Although no treatment is necessary, hirsuties papillaris penis can be removed surgically. There are no particular complications and there is usually a positive course of the disease. The formation of scars can be prevented if the affected person cares for the skin after the surgical procedure and keeps it moist. The patient does not have any special options for self-help. However, the disease does not limit life expectancy.