Mysterious rash in groin for 10 years+

Skin, nail and hair health
1

Hi, I have a rash in my groin, on both sides, where abdomen meets thigh, but not on genitals. I'm male. It's a cluster of red points, with flaky skin where it's worst.

I've had this problem for my whole adult life, which is over ten years. It may have started when I had a very active job and used to sweat at times. I haven't had that job for several years but the rash has persisted. I've been to several different GPs about it. They invariably prescribe me different topical creams, sometimes anti-fungal, sometimes corticosteroids, which work in varying degrees of effectiveness, until the rash has cleared up. I follow the course through to completion, then as soon as I stop the rash comes right back, as if it was just waiting.

One doctor took a scraping and had it analyzed. The results showed that it was not fungal.

I'm not immunocompromised, not overweight, not diabetic. Oh, and not sexually active sad

I've done as much home research as I can, I've been down the candidiasis/yeast infection rabbit hole and tried various quack diets and health food supplements, with almost no improvement except that eliminating sugar seemed to work for a time, then spontaneously the rash returned while I was still not eating sugar. This link reinforced the yeast infection idea for me at the time, but the scraping results showed that it's not fungal, and yeast is a form of fungus, so that's quite confusing.

It doesn't bear a strong resemblance to tinea cruris, ringworm, intertrigo or inverse psoriasis.

The only other symptom I've had persistently for all this time is post-nasal drip, and I can't see how that could be connected.

I don't want to be one of those people who criticise doctors for spinning pharmaceutical bucks time and again instead of addressing the root of the problem and curing it once and for all, but it's getting hard to understand why they can't rid me of this simple rash, which I've had for so long. I would quite like to be able to have sex without reassuring the partner that I don't have an STD. I would quite like to not have to apply cream to my crotch, twice a day, every single day. Any help or new ideas would be very greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading.

2

Well,  you definitely don't have a fungus problem. You might have some type inflammation problem. Inflammatory creams such as hydrocortisone might help. You should find a good dermatologist. For now try  moisturizing it with vaseline.   Powder up  after taking  shower might help prevent reocurrence, More then anything; you should get a good doctor, you might need blood tests. Ten years is way too long to not get diagnosed.

Good luck!

3

So you think I could possibly have a genetic or blood condition which causes me to get inflamed in that area?

I have an appointment coming up with a dermatologist, but I'm not optimistic about it.

4

 I said inflammatory problems. At this point don't rule out anything; family history,  diet, allergies, autoimmune disorders and especially stress.  I am glad you're seeing a Dermatologist. You need some kind of testing or biopsy. That's a great start and I hope he'll get to the bottom of it. You really do need a diagnosis to find out what's going on.

I wouldn't worry too much. It could be something as simple as knowing how to treat that area. Good luck to you!

5

Well I saw the dermatologist and just as you hypothesised, he was 90 percent sure that's it's a type of inflammatory problem, psoriasis to be specific. I will have it for the rest of my life but there are creams I only have to apply once per week to keep it invisible, once it's under control. (I'm skeptical about this but we'll see...).

He also said that it looks slightly unusual in its form and that he wants me to undergo a biopsy and have a sample of skin sent to a lab for thorough analysis. There's still a chance that it could be something other than psoriasis. I suppose this unusual quality is why general physicians have been unable to diagnose me for so long!

Apparently there's not much which affects psoriasis, ie. diet and physical activity. This is a relief! I don't have to worry any more about this rash-thing affecting my lifestyle choices. All I have to do is get the right cream and apply it occasionally! Obviously I'm going to do some further reading because I'm sure there are things which could affect the condition.

It's a shame that I'll probably have this condition forever but overall I think this information is a positive development!

Thanks for your input!

6

I am so glad you're seeing a Dermatologist. It is still too soon to find out exactly what it is, but I feel your doctor should be able to get to the bottom of it. 

7

Hi, I have the exact same problem I think. I am 18 and have had the same problem you have for the past 5 years. I read how you solved the problem to some degree and I will definitely do it aswell.