Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Long-Standing Untreated Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of the Penis

Abstract

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus is an uncommon disease of skin and genital mucosa in both sexes. Involvement of the male genital mucosa is usually complicated by recurrent balanoposthitis, ulceration, phimosis, and meatal stenosis. The development of a squamous cell carcinoma is extremely rare in genital lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in males as compared with females. We report a 70-year-old male with a squamous cell carcinoma of the glans superimposed on long-standing lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of glans and prepuce. The patient in addition had a basal cell carcinoma on his face. Awareness of this rare complication of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in males is emphasized.

Penile cancer

“…Penile lichen sclerosus (balanitis xerotica obliterans) is a chronic sclerosing inflammatory disorder of unknown cause that may lead in some cases to meatal stenosis or acquired phimosis (Fig 1). 182,[191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198][199][200][201][202][203][204][205][206][207][208][209][210] There have been anecdotal reports of men developing penile SCC 191,203,204 or verrucous carcinoma 172,182 in association with genital lichen sclerosus. Since penile lichen sclerosus often leads to phimosis, it has been suggested that in lichen sclerosuseassociated penile carcinoma, phimosis probably represented a more important carcinogenic factor than lichen sclerosus itself.…”

Development of multifocal squamous cell carcinoma in lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of the penis associated to HCV hepatitis

“…Tel. Moreover, development of penile SCC in LSA is a rare event and seldom reported in the literature (Paricio Rubio et al, 1999;Powell et al, 2001;Kanwar et al, 2002). To our knowledge, this is the first case of SCC pLSA related to HCV infection.…”

“…In the literature, about 20 cases of penile carcinoma (SCC, verrucous carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma) with histological evidence of LSA are described (Paricio Rubio et al, 1999;Powell et al, 2001;Kanwar et al, 2002). In the literature, about 20 cases of penile carcinoma (SCC, verrucous carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma) with histological evidence of LSA are described (Paricio Rubio et al, 1999;Powell et al, 2001;Kanwar et al, 2002).…”

Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Untreated Lichen Sclerosus of the Penis: A Rare Complication

“…This association is, however, not so well established in males. In males, the occurrence of malignant changes in penile LSA is extremely rare and has been only sporadically reported (2, 4, 5–15). The pathogenesis of SCC arising in LSA is unclear.…”