Pearly penile papules (PPP) are benign angiofibromas that arise on the penis. PPP is comparable to vulvar vestibular papules in women.
Synonym: pink pearly papules, hirsutoid papillomas
Age at appearance: adolescence or young adult
Size: papules 1-4 mm
Location: along the coronal ridge in 1 or 2 rows, often circumferential
Appearance: uniform, dome-shaped, pink/white/translucent
The lesions are not contagious and are not a sexually-transmitted disease.
Histology shows depigmentation of the basal layer of the epithelial layer and a highly vascular dermis.
Dermoscopy shows central dotted vessels.
The main significance is confusion with condyloma accuminata. If the diagnosis is in doubt then Ki-67 immunostaining can help (negative in PPP, positive in condyloma).
No therapy is required. If removal is desired, then cryotherapy or laser therapy can be used.
