Pearly penile papules are best described as:

• A. Malignant lesion requiring biopsy
• B. A vascular malformation
• C. Benign variant of anatomy; multiple uniform lesions circumferentially around glans; appear in adolescence
• D. Infectious lesion

Answer: (C)

Pearly penile papules are a normal, benign variant of penile anatomy rather than a disease. They present as small, uniform, dome-shaped, flesh-colored to white papules that encircle the corona of the glans penis and typically become noticeable after puberty. Because of this distinctive, non-pathologic pattern and lack of symptoms, they do not require biopsy or treatment. They are not a vascular malformation, which would have different tissue characteristics, and they are not an infectious lesion like genital warts, which usually don’t present as a neat, circumferential cluster around the glans. This description—a benign anatomical variant with multiple uniform lesions around the glans appearing in adolescence—best fits pearly penile papules.