Bumps on the penis: pearly papules, Fordyce spots or warts — sorted in Busan.

Treatment page

STI Testing in Busan

The page behind this guide — the thirteen-panel test, HPV subtyping, genital wart removal and the window periods, in Seomyeon.

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The short answer: normal anatomy versus infection — as examined at our Busan clinic

Pearly penile papules are small, uniform, skin-coloured or white dome-shaped bumps arranged in one or two neat rows around the rim of the glans; they are normal anatomy, present in up to a third of men, and not infectious. Fordyce spots are tiny yellowish-white dots on the shaft skin or foreskin — visible oil glands, also normal. Genital warts are irregular, cauliflower-textured growths of varying size that appear weeks to months after exposure, anywhere on the shaft, glans, foreskin or around the anus; they are caused by HPV and are infectious. At Urogyn in Busan Seomyeon the distinction is usually made on examination in a minute; an HPV subtype test is ₩250,000 and wart removal starts from ₩300,000.

The reassurance for most men is real: the symmetrical rows around the glans and the flat yellow dots on the shaft are not disease, do not need treatment, and are not something you gave anyone or caught from anyone. The sections below describe each in enough detail to recognise, and then explain what is done about the ones that are warts. The STI testing page covers the full panel.

Pearly penile papules: the rows around the glans that worry everyone

These are the single commonest reason a man photographs his penis and sends it to a clinic. One or two circumferential rows of small, smooth, dome-shaped bumps along the corona — the ridge of the glans — all about the same size, often more prominent in uncircumcised men. They appear around puberty, do not change, do not itch or bleed, and are not sexually transmitted; a partner cannot catch them. They need no treatment. Men who find them cosmetically troubling can have them removed with a fine laser or radiofrequency at our Seomyeon clinic, and we are clear that this is a cosmetic choice rather than a medical one. What we do not do is treat them as warts — freezing or acid applied to pearly papules causes scarring for no benefit.

Fordyce spots, sebaceous cysts and the other normal findings

Fordyce spots are visible sebaceous glands — pinpoint yellow-white dots on the shaft skin, the foreskin or the scrotum, often more obvious when the skin is stretched. Everyone has them; some men have more. They are not infectious and need nothing. Small sebaceous cysts on the scrotum or shaft — firm, mobile, skin-coloured lumps a few millimetres across — are also benign and removed only if they become inflamed or bother the man. Angiokeratomas, tiny dark red dots on the scrotum in older men, are dilated blood vessels and harmless. The men's health hub lists the skin and scrotal services.

• 1 Fordyce spots. Yellow-white pinpoints, shaft and foreskin. Normal. No treatment.
• 2 Sebaceous cysts. Firm mobile lumps, usually scrotal. Benign. Removed if inflamed or troubling.
• 3 Angiokeratomas. Dark red dots on the scrotum. Vascular, harmless.

Genital warts: recognising them and what treatment involves

Genital warts are caused by low-risk HPV types, most often 6 and 11, and appear weeks to months after sexual contact. They are irregular in outline, often with a rough cauliflower-like surface, of varying size from a pinhead to a centimetre, and may be single or clustered on the shaft, under the foreskin, on the glans, at the urethral opening or around the anus. They can itch or bleed with friction but are often painless. At our Busan clinic removal is by laser, radiofrequency or excision under local anaesthesia, from ₩300,000 depending on number and site, in a single visit for most men. Recurrence within months happens in a proportion of men because the virus persists in surrounding skin, and a follow-up check is part of the plan. Partners should be examined.

Who examines

Dr. Kim Jin-seong — STI and general urology

Director of the Busan branch, board-certified urologist, Gyeongsang National University, adjunct clinical professor at GNU Hospital. Examines, tests and removes genital warts at the Seomyeon clinic.

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When the ₩250,000 HPV test is worth it — and when it is not

Visible warts are diagnosed by examination; the HPV subtype test does not change their treatment. Where it earns its ₩250,000 is in three situations: a lesion that is not clearly a wart on examination; a man whose partner has had an abnormal cervical screen and who wants to know his status; and a man considering the Gardasil 9 vaccine (₩300,000 per dose) who wants to know which types he already carries. The test is a swab or urine sample and identifies high-risk types as well as the wart-causing ones. For the man with classic pearly papules it is unnecessary and we say so. Our STI test cost guide covers the panel pricing.

Vaccination after warts: why it still makes sense

Gardasil 9 protects against nine HPV types, including the two that cause most warts and the seven high-risk types linked to penile, anal and throat cancers. A man who has had warts has usually been exposed to one or two types, not all nine, so vaccination still protects against the rest and may reduce recurrence. It is given as three doses over six months at ₩300,000 each; the first can be given on the same visit as wart removal in Busan and the series completed at home. We discuss it with every man treated for warts.

The foreskin question: when bumps keep coming back

Recurrent warts, recurrent balanitis and difficulty keeping the glans clean are all more common under a tight or redundant foreskin, and in some men adult circumcision is the treatment that finally stops the cycle. It is not offered as a first response to a single episode of warts; it is discussed when the foreskin is clearly part of the problem. Our guide on tight foreskin in adults covers when it does and does not need surgery.

Telling a partner — what is and is not transmissible

Men ask, often before anything else, what to tell a partner. The answer depends entirely on the diagnosis. Pearly penile papules and Fordyce spots are not transmissible, were never caught from anyone and cannot be passed on; there is nothing to disclose beyond reassurance. Genital warts are transmissible, including from skin that looks normal, and a current partner should be examined and offered the same discussion about vaccination; a woman should keep up with cervical screening. Condoms reduce but do not eliminate transmission because the virus can be present on skin they do not cover. HPV is extremely common — most sexually active adults carry a type at some point — and a diagnosis says nothing about fidelity or timing, since the virus can be dormant for months or years. At our Seomyeon clinic we give this in writing so that the conversation at home starts from facts. The confidentiality guide covers how records are kept.

Fitting an assessment into a trip to Busan

Examination, any testing and wart removal can all be done in one visit at our Seomyeon clinic; removal under local anaesthesia takes fifteen to thirty minutes and you walk out. Healing takes one to two weeks, with intercourse after the skin has healed. A photo sent in advance often lets us say whether you need to come at all — a man with pearly papules can be reassured by message and spend his Busan trip doing something else. Our privacy guide explains how the visit itself is kept discreet.

How it runs at our Busan Seomyeon clinic — and your next step

Message us with a clear, well-lit photo of the bumps, when you first noticed them, whether they have changed, and whether there has been a new partner. We reply in writing with what they most likely are, whether you need to be seen, and the figure if removal is needed. Nothing is booked until you confirm and no deposit is taken. The clinic is one minute from Seomyeon Station exit 7; the contact page has directions.