Answered by Anthony Mancini M.D.
Dr. Mancini received his undergraduate and medical educations at the University of Arizona, and trained in pediatrics, pediatric dermatology, and dermatology at Stanford University. He is currently Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and Head of the Division of Dermatology at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Mancini has served as a member of the AAP Executive Committee, Section of Dermatology since 2001. He is a member of the AAP Super CME Planning Group and the AAP Pedia Link Pediatric Dermatology Project Team, and is Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. His teaching accomplishments include the Faculty Excellence in Education Award from the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern, which he has received for the last eight years. Dr. Mancini is a peer reviewer and/or sits on the editorial board for several academic journals, and has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. He is co-author of Hurwitz Clinical Pediatric Dermatology, 3rd edition, and is an associate editor for the comprehensive dermatology textbook Dermatology. His special interests include infectious skin diseases and exanthems of childhood, vascular malformations and hemangiomas, and neonatal skin maturation and skin disorders.
Dr. Mancini is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology. He and his wife, Nicola, a neonatal intensive care nurse, have three children (Mallory, Christopher, and Mackenzie) and reside in Evanston, Illinois.
Question
I noticed a white cyst or pimple on my son's circumcised penis agaiI noticed a white cyst or pimple on my son's circumcised penis again and am very concerned. He had this once before and it finally came to a head and popped. Is this common? How can I prevent this from happening again?
Answer
It's difficult to answer your question without examining your son. Small cysts can occur on the penis, and sometimes these are found in the area of remaining foreskin following circumcision. In the case of a true cyst, which is a cavity lined by skin cells, surgery is usually the definitive treatment. However, there are other skin lesions that can appear on the penis, including a variety of infections, and these would require a different type of therapy. Have your son evaluated by his pediatrician or a dermatologist, who can offer you information regarding prevention and/or treatment once a diagnosis has been made.
