Patient's question:
There is white smegma on the glans, and I used a men's health cleaning solution. However, later I noticed some small red rashes on the glans. There is some itching and swelling at the head of the foreskin, but it is not very obvious. After two days, the skin at the head of the foreskin became red and still swollen. The itching is accompanied by some pain. Now there are 3 cracks at the head of the foreskin. What could be the cause?Doctor's answer:
Balanoposthitis refers to the inflammation of the inner foreskin and glans penis. A lipoidal substance secreted normally in the foreskin cavity can accumulate as smegma under conditions of phimosis or excessive foreskin, irritating the foreskin and glans to cause balanoposthitis. The fundamental principle of Western medicine treatment is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Generally, both internal and external treatments are employed. For acute superficial balanoposthitis and annular erosive balanoposthitis, erythromycin and tetracycline are the first-line treatments. For trichomoniasis-induced balanoposthitis, metronidazole is the preferred treatment. For candidal balanoposthitis caused by Candida, griseofulvin or itraconazole is commonly used.