Dear Doctor

54 yr old male and have noticed this darkening purplish skin on the glans of my penis.. no bumps, nodules, masses or papules

smooth with a slight shiny appearance.. your thoughts

Dear Patient

The color of the glans penis varies from pink to bluish and purplish due to the presence of the blood vessels that are under the thin skin.

The color may also vary depending on the erectile state and the temperature.

If the discoloration was coin shaped it could suggest a fixed drug eruption.

If the purple glans penis area had swellings it would suggest Kaposi’sarcoma or lichen planus.

I suggest you observe it for any more changes and if it persists for more than 2 weeks, consult a skin doctor to evaluate the lesion and possibly do a skin biopsy.

During the skin biopsy your doctor will numb the area with a local anesthetic and take a small sample of the skin over the purple glans penis. This sample will be sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope and it should give valuable clues as to what is making the area purple.

 

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