There is a little red spot on the glans

The red spots on the glans may be caused by glanitis.

Balanitis refers to inflammation of the inner layer of the foreskin and the glans penis. A lipid substance secreted in the normal foreskin cavity can accumulate into smegma when the foreskin is too long or phimosis occurs, which can irritate the foreskin and glans penis and cause balanitis. This disease can also be caused by bacterial or fungal infection or drug allergy.

Causes

The causes of this disease can be divided into two categories

1. Simple or non-infectious factors

In addition to physiological phimosis, glans inflammation changes may occur due to excessive foreskin, smegma stimulation after sexual maturity, or a few mechanical injury factors.

2. Infectious or communicable diseases

Balanitis is mainly caused by pathogenic microorganisms, among which bacterial and fungal infections are the most common.

Clinical manifestations

Balanitis caused by drug allergy is a delayed allergic reaction, which usually occurs 24 to 72 hours after taking the drug.

Candidal balanitis: It is more common in cases of excessive foreskin and a history of unclean sexual intercourse. The foreskin and glans penis may be slightly flushed. There may be white cheese-like secretions on the inner plate of the foreskin and the glans glans coronal sulcus. There may be needle-sized light red papules on the glans glans. If the outer foreskin and scrotum are invaded, scaly erythema may be seen. If the fossa navicularis is involved, there may be frequent urination and dysuria. There may be burning sensation and itching locally. Occasionally, fulminant edema balanitis may occur, which is mainly manifested by obvious edema and severe itching of the foreskin penis, with shallow ulcers.

1. Acute superficial galactitis

It is usually caused by friction of underwear, trauma, or local irritation from soap or detergent. It manifests as edema, erythema, exudation, erosion, secondary infection with purulent secretions, easy formation of ulcers, and spontaneous pain.

2. Annular erosive glans

The lesions of the glans and foreskin are ring-shaped, or the rings have cheese-like smegma, which can easily break down into superficial ulcers over time. If the ring-shaped features are lost, it is difficult to distinguish from superficial glansitis. This disease can exist alone or as a mucosal symptom of Reiter syndrome.

3. Cytoplasmic balanitis

It is more common in middle-aged people. It is a single or multiple chronic inflammations that last for a long time. The damage is plaque-like, with a smooth or scaly or moist surface, and the infiltration is more obvious. The boundary is clear and not easy to break. Small spots like paprika can be seen on the surface. The appearance is difficult to distinguish from the hyperplastic erythema of the glans penis. If similar damage occurs in the vulva, it is called plasmacytic vulvitis.

4. Mica and keratotic pseudoepitheliomatous glansitis

The glans penis is damaged, infiltrated, hypertrophic, hyperkeratotic, and has mica-like crusts. The affected area loses its normal elasticity and atrophies over time.