What is the cause of the peeling of the glans?

The peeling of the glans is not so rare nowadays, and many patients may experience this situation. This is related to glans inflammation, and the cause of this disease is relatively complicated. Many patients are unable to find the real cause of the disease in the early stage of the disease, so they are unable to prescribe medicine for the symptoms, which makes their symptoms become more and more serious.

Balanitis is related to many factors, which can be divided into infectious factors and non-infectious factors. Under normal circumstances, a large number of bacteria, yeasts and spirochetes can parasitize in the foreskin sac, and when local or systemic resistance is weakened, these microorganisms can become pathogenic pathogens. Balanitis is mainly caused by bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, followed by Candida, Trichomonas, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, etc. can also cause balanitis.

Non-infectious factors include stimulation from urine, alkaline substances (such as detergents) and foreign substances (such as condoms); friction and trauma; excessive foreskin and insufficient cleaning leading to accumulation of smegma, which can cause damage to the glans foreskin mucosa and aggravate infection by various pathogens.

1. Acute superficial galactitis

It is mainly seen in young and middle-aged people with active sexual life, and the infecting bacteria are usually the same as the strains of bacterial vaginosis of their sexual partners. At the beginning of the disease, the local skin is flushed, and the glans penis feels burning and itchy. In the acute stage, the foreskin is turned back to reveal edematous erythema, erosion, exudate and bleeding on the glans penis. In severe cases, blisters may appear. If secondary infection occurs, ulcers may form, covered with purulent exudate, and local pain and tenderness are obvious. Some patients may have mild systemic symptoms, such as fatigue and weakness. In the chronic stage, only the inner plate of the foreskin and the coronal sulcus have flaky flushing, or cracks like broken porcelain.

2. Annular ulcerative glansitis

It may be the early mucosal damage of Reites disease, or it may be related to the long-term stimulation of smegma. The clinical manifestation is erythema on the glans penis, which gradually expands and becomes ring-shaped or multi-ring-shaped, and may later form shallow ulcers. The main feature of this disease is one or more round lesions on the glans penis, with a red erosive surface in the middle and a white narrow band on the edge, forming a ring. If secondary infection occurs, the symptoms may be aggravated and lose their ring-shaped characteristics.

3. Candidal balanitis

Caused by Candida infection, most commonly Candida albicans. Clinical manifestations include erythema of the foreskin and glans penis, smooth surface, slight desquamation around, scattered papules or small pustules around, and slowly expanding to the surrounding area. In the acute stage, edema, erythema, erosion, and exudate may occur. In severe cases, it may affect the penis body, scrotum, inner thigh and groin. It is mostly caused by sexual contact infection, but it can also be secondary to diabetes, wasting diseases, and long-term and large-scale antibiotic or hormone treatment.

4. Cytoplasmic balanitis

It is more common in middle-aged patients. Generally, there are no obvious conscious symptoms. Persistent, localized, infiltrative, dark red-brown patches occur on the glans penis, with clear boundaries, smooth surface, many small red spots or erosions, easy bleeding, and no ulcers. Histopathology has diagnostic value, and is characterized by band-like inflammatory cell infiltration in the superficial dermis, mixed with a large number of plasma cells.