The Prevalence of Penile Pearly Papules among Young Men.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of pearly penile papules (PPP) among young men in Eskisehir, Turkey. This was a prospective, non-randomized, cross-sectional study. From December 2014 to September 2015, 2613 consecutive male patients who were referred to the dermatology outpatient clinic were included in the study. Patients were inspected for the presence of PPP, localization, and association with human papilloma virus (HPV). A total of 2613 patients were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 21.33±2.08 (mean ± Standard Deviation (SD); ranging from 18 to 24) years. All of the patients were white and circumcised men. Of the 2613 patients, 449 (17.18%) PPP were observed. PPP were localized on the corona of the glans penis (100%), coronal sulcus (18.9%), frenulum (15.1%), ventral shaft (5.3%), and dorsal shaft of the penis (2.4%). Of the 449 patients with PPP, 23 (5.3%) underwent treatment; 73 (16.2%) would consider removal, 7 (1.5%) had a previous treatment for HPV, and 5 (1.1%) had HPV. PPP are encountered very commonly in the pubertal age in boys and young men. All medical practitioners should be familiar with PPP. Their similarity to genital warts may generate a false apprehension of venereal disease and may lead to unwanted and hazardous treatments. Therefore, better health education is needed.