[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 05 Oct 2001 00:19:47: Re: Can cysts progress from testes to penis?
As an answer to: Re: Can cysts progress from testes to penis? written by Richard at 04 Oct 2001 15:37:44:
> First of all, let me reiterate: sebaceous cysts are completely harmless.
Cause occasional annoyance if they get infected.
> They are not contagious, so they can't "progress" anywhere. They're just blocked hair follicles filled with pus.
Not unless they get infected. They are filled with - dead skin. The same skin that continuously wears off and becomes the dust in your house (and some of which is eaten by microscopic house dust mites whose dead bodies and poo makes some people allergic and gives them asthma, but I digress ...).
Whereas on all open areas of the skin, it just rubs off on clothing or when you wash or shampoo, where it is trapped in a hair follicle or other similar skin pocket, it cannot escape and builds up as white mush inside. This is called an "epidermoid" cyst, and is not a sebaceous cyst. You may occasionally have scratched a true sebaceous cyst on your scalp and found that what popped out was a tiny little golden, almost transparent ball of material. That is a sebaceous cyst.
> They don't sound very nice described like that but they're nothing to worry about.
I think my description is almost as bad. (;-)
> They do not occur only on the genitals, I've frequently noticed them around other people's eyes.
Those are usually different, called "Xanthellasma", they are fatty deposits under the skin and cannot be squeezed out (because there isn't a pore that they started from).
> I have them on both my scrotum and penis.
As you likely would. In particular, if you have a circumcision scar where the preputial glands were damaged, you will likely have a number of slightly larger cysts that discharge when squeezed.
> But this *IS NOT* a diagnosis. Don't take my word as gospel, I'm not a doctor.
Standard disclaimer.
> If you are concerned
After reading this ...
> *go to your doctor*,
Generally safe.
> warts, which are entirely different and are caused by HPV, which sounds scary like HIV,
It is scary, actually ...
> but is what's known as Human Papiloma Virus. It has been linked to cervical cancer in women
Linked to = primary cause of. Smoking also contributes. Women who've never had sex are extraordinarily unlikely to get cervical cancer, so that is a good hint about what causes it.
> so far as I know there is no such effect on men
HPV is generally accepted to be the main cause of cancer of the penis. The confusing factor is that this is pretty uncommon in men circumcised at birth. The confusing factor about this is that men circumcised at puberty, notably Muslims, do seem to get penile cancer at an intermediate rate.
What can be concluded putting all these factors together is not entirely obvious but circumcision is not a worthwhile way of avoiding penile cancer since keeping clean and perhaps more contentiously, avoiding promiscuous sex, does the job better!.
> so it's vitally important to get checked. HPV is spread by sexual contact.
It sure is. In answer to the other questions here regarding warts, they are generally skin-coloured rather than whitish, they have the "mesa"-like appearance (rather than domed) and the firm, rough top surface of any other wart, albeit in miniature, unless they are projecting and have branches, which comes later.