Ask Dr Miriam

QFor 15 years I’ve suffered with lichen sclerosus – and now at the grand age of 70 I have to be circumcised. Do you have anything to recommend for this painful complaint?

ALichen sclerosus isn’t very common but can result in white, crinkly patches on the skin and is usually most troublesome, as you have found, in the genital area.

Its cause is unknown but we think the body’s immune system is mistakenly attacking normal tissues. Some patients may have no symptoms but the most common is itching. The skin can break down or crack if you scratch.

When these cracks tighten up, scars can form, and this is why you need circumcision. I’m glad you’re going to go through with it because the scars can make your foreskin tight and even block the flow of urine.

You could ask your specialist for some steroid cream to help the soreness and itching.