During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Genital rash. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
Why: to establish if acute or chronic.
Why: e.g. vulva, penis, scrotum.
Why: e.g. hands, scalp, anus.
Why: e.g. babies are prone to various types of genital rashes such as irritant napkin dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, diaper candidiasis and psoriasis; older children are predisposed to threadworms (Enterobius vermicularis) which causes an itchy anal and genital rash.
Why: e.g. hygiene products, laundry detergents, soaps, latex condoms.
Why: e.g. warm, humid environment, tight clothing in men, obesity, chronic topical corticosteroid application.
Why: e.g. erythema multiforme may follow infection with either herpes simplex or mycoplasma.
Why: e.g. chronic corticosteroid application may predispose to tinea cruris; corticosteroids, cancer cytotoxic drugs, antibiotics, oral contraceptives can predispose to Candida infections; erythema multiforme may follow ingestion of certain medications including sulfonamides, phenytoin, barbiturates, penicillin and allopurinol.
Why: e.g. soaps, laundry detergents, hygiene products, latex allergy from latex condoms.
Why: may help determine risk of HIV infection (which may predispose to many types of infections), genital herpes, syphilis, scabies, genital warts and molluscum contagiosum.
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:
Why: e.g. confluent red rash that spares the groin folds. May have small ulcers or scaly areas and may be complicated by diaper candidiasis.
Why: e.g. red rash with small pus- filled or red spot like lesions, may be weeping, scaling at edge of rash, irritability, discomfort with urination, defecation and changing diaper.
Why: e.g. red rash with small pus-filled lesions at the periphery. May involve skin under breasts, axillae and groin and between the buttocks.
Why: e.g. very itchy, lumpy rash, may be able to see tiny mite burrows in the skin that look like small wavy lines, also common on hands and wrists.
Why: e.g. urethritis (painful urination with penile discharge), conjunctivitis (red painful eyes) and painful peripheral joints. Lesions on palms, soles, penis and mouth. 90% of those affected are male.
Why: e.g. dull red patches with central blisters that look like targets and may affect hands, feet, face, elbow, knees, penis, vulva, lips and mouth. May also have a fever and malaise. Often follows infections with either herpes simplex or mycoplasma or taking certain medications.
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