Pearly Penile Papule

A 12-year-old boy presented with a 6-month history of a papule on the corona of the glans penis. The lesion was asymptomatic. This is a pearly penile papule, or hirsute papilloma, a fairly common condition affecting the corona of the glans or, rarely, the frenulum of the penis. The lesions are typically multiple; they vary from white-yellow to pinkish and are usually arranged along the coronal sulcus. Histologically, the papule demonstrates epithelial thickening without glands or a glandular component.

It is considered an acral angiofibroma and may represent remnants of a copulative organ that is well developed in other mammals, such as guinea pigs and cats. Treatment is usually unnecessary but, when indicated, carbon-dioxide laser therapy has been found effective.