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Suggest Treatment For Small White Bumps On The Scrotum

Posted on Sat, 13 Aug 2016

Question: How long can hpv survive outside the body on a surface. What disinfectants kill the virus? Does washing and drying your clothes kill the virus. I had a small white filled bump on my scrotum . I had to squeeze hard to remove hardened pus. It bled a little. Could this have been a genital wart. I have little white spots all over my scrotum and penis. Sometimes I squeeze the push out easily. This one spot was raised and very hard to get out. My fiance is freaking out.

Answered by Dr. Roopa Hiremath (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Suspecting sebaceous cysts rather than a wart.

Detailed Answer:
Hi Mr.XXXX,

Welcome to Health Care Magic.

I understand your concern about a genital wart, but based on the description provided by you, in your query, I am suspecting a sebaceous cyst which is very common on the scrotal surface.

Human Papilloma virus is a DNA virus which gets inactivated within seconds at 53˚C, within minutes at 37˚C and in few days at 4˚C. However, they survive at extreme low temperature(-70˚ to -20˚c) for a very long period.

Oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorites, Iodine & iodophores are effective disinfectants against papilloma viruses.

Please note that viruses are obligatory intracellular pathogens and do not survive for long on inanimate objects.

Coming back to the sebaceous cyst, normal skin contains sebaceous glands which open into the hair follicles. When the ducts draining the glands gets blocked, they become distended by their own secretions. Sebum accumulates to form a smooth, firm nodule in the skin called a sebaceous cyst.

Infection of such cysts can occur and they can be treated easily by antibiotics.
I suggest you get those bumps examined by a skin specialist(Dermatologist) and get appropriate prescription for antibiotics.

I hope I have cleared your doubts, Please get back if any more queries.

Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Roopa Hiremath (48 minutes later)

Does hpv survive at room temperature? My fiance is freaking out because she said she could have gotten a wart way up inside her. Ive never in the past been told by any woman that she got a genital wart from me. This cyst or whatever it was has been there a long time. Can't remember how long. Does washing and drying clothes kill hpv. Just for my own info. Thank you for your help. I do have other white spots on my scrotum an shafts of my penis. On the shafts if you squeeze them a little puss comes out. What are these white spots and why do I get them

Answered by Dr. Roopa Hiremath (12 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Painless spots on scrotum could be normal hair follicles or Fordyce spots

Detailed Answer:
Hi Mr.XXXXX,

Welcome back.

HPV survives for few minutes at room temperature but as I told you in my previous answer, that viruses are obligatory intracellular pathogens and do not survive for long on inanimate objects.

Washing with strong detergents and drying in hot sunlight may kill the viruses.

The white spots you mention could be normal hair follicles which look raised because the scrotal skin is thinner as compared to the skin elsewhere in the body.

Fordyce spots are nothing but visible sebaceous glands which are benign spots which do not require any treatment.

Your fiancee can always undergo a pap smear test and HPV screening test to rule out HPV infection.

I hope I have answered your query satisfactorily.

Please do not hesitate to get back if any more doubts.

Thanks.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar