What causes recurring fungal growth on penis?
Patient: I had a previous bout of suspected fungal growth on my penis about 2 months ago and I am uncircumcised. This is not the first time in my previous years and the solution every time had been a course of anti fungal cream and if its persistent my gp would also prescribe some pills to clear it up. The itch and fungus would go away normally in a week. While its not advisable on my earlier bouts I have also used hand cleaners or gels to clean the area during shower as a an added measure which fortunately have never sparked Any form of skin allergy. However I noticed this year on my first bout , happened in April and I saw the same doctor my penile skin started peeling in thin layers ( white in nature ) that would seem to roll off the surface as you rub and clean it to expose a shinier new skin under. This happens on the forehead as well as the foreskin adjoining it. Tis has never happened. I was thinking if the very strong anti bad hand wash which I used to clean during shower has taken a toll on the skin. In any case the gp prescribed me some diflucan for a 4 week single dose per week course and everything cleared in 2 weeks including the skin peel. Fast forward 3 months in July I had a reoccurence for some reason but this time with the same symptoms I can t get rid of the skin peel. The gp and also a dermatologist I saw mentioned I no longer have a fungal infection looking at the condition of the penis. There is no itch no discharge and looks clear except for some redness at times when it does peel after every 3 to 4 days. She prescribed daktacort that I think made things worse, more reddening, I tried konzert with not much effect for I think the earlier bouts of canestan has cleared all fungal infection. I am beginning to think i have a dermal condition on the skin for it seems to be really really delicate. I tried just applying a little papaya ointment to moisturizer the area that looked fine for a while but the symptoms would always be the same, over time the skin would just start to peel all over again. please help. Doctor: Hi,Recurring fungal infection can be as a result of underlying immunosuppression as in cases of diabetes and HIV Itraconazol pulse therapy is usually required for long duration in cases of resistant infection. Hope it helps. If you have any other question please do not hesitate to contact us.Regards,Dr. Atishay Bukharia