Perianal Paget's disease: a diagnostic dilemma

Extramammary Paget's Disease in the Genital Area of a Male: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is an uncommon intraepithelial malignancy that is rarely found in the male. Currently, there is very little knowledge pertaining to EMPD imaging, particularly in cases that involve the scrotum. Here, a 67-year-old man with lichenification on his left scrotum confirmed to be EMPD was reviewed. Bloodwork did not return a positive result, but syphilis-specific antibodies were found. Conventional high-frequency ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging were utilized to determine the lesion size and blood perfusion. In the present case, the lesion's size and involvement were vividly depicted by CEUS, while results obtained by conventional US were grossly underestimated. Consequently, multimodal imaging assessment is likely to provide more accurate diagnoses for uncommon diseases, such as EMPD, and to aid in clinical decision-making.

Treatment Effects Can Mimic Recurrent Extramammary Paget Disease in Perianal Skin

The histologic differential diagnosis of perianal Paget disease includes malignant melanoma, pagetoid spread of squamous cell carcinoma, and secondary involvement by colorectal carcinoma. While consideration of these entities is useful when establishing a diagnosis, it does not apply when patients with Paget disease undergo surveillance for recurrent disease. Treatment of perianal Paget disease consists of a combination of surgical excision with skin grafts and topical chemotherapeutic agents that induce cytologic alterations in benign cells and simulate recurrent malignancy. To evaluate the therapy-related changes and possible diagnostic pitfalls in patients with Paget disease, we reviewed 412 posttreatment tissue samples from 3 women with primary perianal Paget disease who underwent wide excision, skin grafting, and topical 5-fluorouracil therapy. Biopsy samples from engrafted skin often displayed single and clustered cells with hyperchromatic nuclei dispersed in the deep epidermis. Similar cells were scattered throughout all levels of the epidermis in biopsy samples following topical chemotherapy. The abnormal cells were negative for cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and mucicarmine in both situations. Disease ultimately recurred in all patients; some Paget cells showed classic features with eosinophilic or mucinous cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei, whereas others were smaller with less conspicuous atypia. All Paget cells showed strong, membranous CK7 staining. In short, treatment of perianal Paget disease can elicit cytologic abnormalities in benign epithelial cells that simulate the cytologic features of recurrent disease, and can diminish the atypia of Paget cells. Immunohistochemical stains for CK7 can be helpful when evaluating surveillance samples from these patients.

Ultrasound Biomicroscopy and High-Frequency Ultrasound for Evaluating Extramammary Paget Disease With Pathologic Correlation

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) in the assessment of extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) and to correlate the imaging features with pathologic findings.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we described the imaging features from UBM and HFUS based on 17 pathologically proven EMPD cases. The performance for visualizing layer involvement by UBM and HFUS was compared. Additionally, we checked the consistency between layer involvement of the lesions on UBM images and the pathologic results. Additionally, blood flow and the status of lymph nodes were investigated with HFUS.

RESULTS

Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed that all 17 lesions (100%) were hypoechoic and grew in a creeping form. The feature of layer involvement was shown in 10 lesions (58.8%) limited to the epidermis and 6 lesions (35.3%) involving the dermis, and the remaining lesion (5.9%) involved the full skin layers. Layer involvement was clearly displayed by UBM for all lesions (100%) but for only 5 lesions (29.4%) by HFUS (P < .001). Additionally, the layer involvement of 15 lesions (88.2%) on UBM was consistent with the pathologic results (κ = 0.746). High-frequency ultrasound revealed profuse blood flow in most lesions (64.7% [11 of 17]), and 1 case showed inguinal lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined use of UBM and HFUS can provide key information on EMPD based on ultrasound features. Comparatively, UBM provides clearer morphologic information, whereas HFUS provides information on lymph node metastasis and blood flow.

MRI of anal canal: common anal and perianal disorders beyond fistulas: Part 2

A broad spectrum of disease, from benign processes to life-threatening pathologies, can cause anal pain. MR imaging (MRI) has become increasingly widely used method over the past two decades for the evaluation of individuals with anorectal symptoms. Although imaging is rarely necessary to determine the etiology of the majority of cases, MRI is particularly useful as a noninvasive method of excluding severe neoplastic conditions. In this article, MRI findings of a number of pathologies such as anal and perianal neoplasms, hemorrhoidal disease, arteriovenous malformation of the perianal region, and anal sphincter lesions (defects, scarring, atrophy) which may lead to fecal incontinence are presented.