[Marjolin's ulcer associated with verrucous carcinoma in an immunocompromised patient]

Background

Marjolin's ulcer is the malignant degeneration of any chronic wound, with a latency period from tissue injury to variable malignant transformation that may occur up to 30 years later. Among the associated neoplasms, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the predominant lineage in up to 71% of cases. The verrucous carcinoma variant has been estimated to have a low presentation, being described in the literature as 2% of all SCC and reported anecdotally in immunosuppressed patients, which justifies the objective of this publication.

Clinical case

65-year-old female patient with a history of being a carrier of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, who presented a verrucous carcinoma associated to a Marjolin ulcer secondary to herpes zoster and infection of soft tissues in the right leg, with a latency period of 10 years from the initial infectious process to histopathological confirmation.

Conclusions

The finding of a verrucous carcinoma on a Marjolin ulcer has been little described in literature, with a lower incidence in the context of a patient with a history of being a carrier of HIV infection, finding 7 case reports, the oldest from 1998. For this reason, it is important to have diagnostic suspicion, to carry out an adequate study protocol and always making clinical-pathological correlation, in order to establish timely and individualized treatment.

Atypical Squamous Verrucous Lesions of the Oral Cavity: Challenges in Interpretation of Small Incisional Biopsies

BACKGROUND

Squamous verrucous proliferative lesions of oral cavity can pose a diagnostic challenge for the general pathologist, especially on small biopsies. The superficial nature of incisional biopsies and inconsistent histologic terminologies used for these lesions contribute to often-discrepant clinical diagnosis, resulting in delayed treatment. This study aims to explore the proliferative squamous lesions of oral cavity, correlate biopsy & resection diagnoses, and evaluate possible reasons for discrepant diagnosis (if any).

DESIGN

A retrospective review of oral verrucous squamous lesions was undertaken. Pathology database was searched for oral cavity biopsies from January2018 through August2022 with the keywords: atypical, verrucous, squamous, and proliferative. Cases with follow-up were included in this study. A blinded review of the biopsy slides was performed and documented by a single head and neck pathologist. Demographic data, biopsy and final diagnosis were recorded.

RESULTS

Twenty-three cases met criteria for inclusion. The mean patient age was 61.1 years with a male: female ratio of 1.09. Most frequent site was lateral border of tongue (36%) followed by buccal mucosa and retromolar trigone. The most common biopsy diagnosis was "Atypical squamoproliferative lesion, excision recommended" (n = 16/23, 69%) with 13/16 showing conventional squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on follow-up resection. 2/16 atypical cases underwent repeat biopsy for confirmation of diagnosis. Overall, conventional SCC was the most prevalent final diagnosis (73%, n = 17), followed by verrucous carcinoma (17%, n = 4). On slide review, six initial biopsies were reclassified as SCC, while one final diagnosis was reclassified as a hybrid carcinoma (on resection specimen). Diagnostic concordance (biopsy and resection) was observed in three cases, all three were recurrences. The primary reasons for discrepant diagnosis on initial biopsies were found to be 1. Obscuring inflammation, 2. Superficial biopsies, and 3. Under recognition of morphologic features (e.g., tear shaped rete, loss of polarity, dyskeratotic cells, paradoxical maturation) that help differentiate dysplasia from reactive atypia.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the rampant interobserver variability in diagnosis of oral cavity squamous lesions and emphasizes importance of identifying morphologic clues that can aid in correct diagnosis, thereby helping in adequate clinical management.

Oral verrucous Carcinoma on mandibular right alveolar region

Verrucous carcinoma, a low-grade variant of squamous cell carcinoma, defined as a diagnostically squamous cell neoplasia involving lip, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal mucosa and named as 'Ackerman's tumour' by Ackerman in 1948. It usually occurs in the lower lip region and this is one such case in which a painful proliferative growth was evident over the right alveolar region for the period of 8 months. Radiological investigations, biopsies were performed followed by surgical excision of the lesion.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising from Perianal Buschke-Lowenstein Tumor (Giant Condyloma Acuminatum): Comprehensive Literature Review

PURPOSE

This study aims to provide an overview of the literature on carcinoma arising from giant perianal condyloma acuminatum.

METHODS

We present a new case of squamous cell carcinoma arising from giant perianal condyloma acuminatum. We also conducted a systematic search of the medical literature using PubMed, Medline, Google, and Google Scholar related to carcinoma arising from giant perianal condyloma acuminatum. The following search terms were used in various combinations: condyloma acuminatum, giant condyloma acuminatum, Buschke-Lowenstein tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, and verrucous carcinoma. The search included articles published before in the English language November 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 55 article concerning 97 patients with carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma, verrucous carcinoma, basaloid cell carcinoma, carcinoma insitu) arising from giant perianal condyloma acuminatum meeting the aforementioned criteria were included. The patients were aged from 24 to 82 years (median: 49.6, IQR: 21); 20 were female (median age: 52.5, IQR: 20.5), and 75 were male (median age: 53, IQR: 17.5). The gender data of the remaining two patients could not be obtained. The histopathological features of tumors arising from giant condyloma acuminatum are as follows: squamous cell carcinoma (n = 56), squamous cell carcinoma in situ (n = 16), verrucous carcinoma (n = 19) and basaloid cell carcinoma (n = 1), squamous cell carcinoma + verrucous carcinoma (n = 1), squamous cell carcinoma + squamous cell carcinoma in situ (n = 1), squamous cell carcinoma + basaloid cell carcinoma (n = 1) and malignant behavior (n = 2).

CONCLUSION

Giant condyloma acuminatum is a rare variant of anogenital warts. It is known that this tumor, which is mostly thought to be benign, has a high potential for local recurrence and transformation into invasive cancer. Therefore, it is vital that the tumor is resected with clean surgical margins, even if it looks benign, and that aggressive treatment options are not avoided when necessary.

Verrucous esophageal carcinoma is a unique indolent subtype of squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and individual patient regression analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Verrucous esophageal carcinoma (VEC) is a rare malignancy that presents a diagnostic challenge. We aim to characterize the clinical and genomic features, tumor behavior, and treatment outcomes of VEC to guide clinical practice.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature and identified additional cases from Massachusetts General Hospital records and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We obtained individual VEC patient data and analyzed publicly available clinicogenomic data from TCGA. We performed a regression analysis comparing cases of VEC to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) to identify factors influencing survival.

RESULTS

A total of 135 patients were reported in 82 publications, and four unpublished cases from Massachusetts General Hospital (median age 65 years, 69% males, 48% smokers, 33% consumed alcohol). Symptoms were present at diagnosis in 95% of patients, most commonly dysphagia and weight loss. Median symptom onset to diagnosis time was 11.5 months with frequent misdiagnosis as Candida esophagitis. Among VEC cases with pathologic staging, lymph node metastases were rare (5%) compared to ESCC (40%). VEC was genomically characterized by enrichment of SMARCA4 missense mutations and a lack of pathogenic TP53 mutations. Despite its diagnostic elusiveness, in a multivariate regression analysis, VEC was detected at earlier stages (p =  < 0.001) compared to ESCC, and advanced stage was the only significant factor affecting survival (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

VEC is a rare, clinically and genomically distinct subtype of ESCC. Recognition and diagnosis of this lesion may allow the pursuit of curative and less morbid treatment strategies.

Primary Intraosseous Verrucous Carcinoma Developing from a Maxillary Odontogenic Cyst: Case Report

Primary intraosseous carcinoma (PIOC) is an extremely rare lesion, almost always occurring in cranial bones. The origin of this tumor, specific to the maxillae, is associated with the cells of the epithelial rests of Malassez. Among the histotypes which can be included in these neoplasms, verrucous carcinoma is of particular interest due to its rarity: only a single case has been reported to date. After a short survey of the literature, the authors describe a directly observed case of verrucous carcinoma arising from a maxillary odontogenic cyst.

Downregulation of Notch4 - a prognostic marker in distinguishing oral verrucous carcinoma from oral squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction

Oral verrucous carcinoma is a special form of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma which possesses specific clinical, morphologic and cytokinetic features that differ from other types of oral cancers and hence diagnosis requires immense experience in histopathology. Hence it is certainly important to distinguish such a lesion from other oral tumors as treatment strategies vary widely between them.

Objective

In search of a critical diagnostic marker in distinguishing oral verrucous carcinoma from oral squamous cell carcinoma, Notch4 receptor, one of the key regulatory molecules of the Notch signaling family has been aberrantly activated in the progression of several types of tumors. However its function in oral verrucous carcinoma remains unexplored. Thus the present study aims in determining the differential expression pattern of Notch4 in oral verrucous carcinoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

Ten patients reported positive for oral cancer (5 patients with oral verrucous carcinoma and 5 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma). Five normal tissue samples were also obtained and evaluated for clinicopathological parameters and immunohistochemistry, western blotting and real time polymerase chain reaction for Notch4 expression.

Results

Our results reveal that the expression of Notch4 was considerably high in oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions compared to normal tissue, whereas in oral verrucous carcinoma, irrespective of the clinicopathological features, complete regulação descendente of Notch4 was observed.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings strongly support the fact that Notch4 is downregulated in oral verrucous carcinoma and could be considered as a suitable prognostic marker in distinguishing oral verrucous carcinoma from oral squamous cell carcinoma. This distinguishing marker can help in improving therapeutic options in patients diagnosed with oral verrucous carcinoma.

Verrucous carcinoma – an embarrassing problem?

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) types 6 and 11 are usually associated with benign genital condylomata, but here we describe an extreme case of verrucous carcinoma associated with HPV 6 in a patient too embarrassed to seek early medical advice.

Practitioners' challenges in diagnosing oral and maxillofacial tumors

OBJECTIVE

Oral cancer is an increasingly growing health care burden in many parts of the world. Due to the relatively low prevalence of oral cancer, screening will lead to a low yield and a high proportion of false positive results. Clinical examination without histologic diagnosis can lead to misdiagnosis in over 40% of cases, especially when premalignant lesions are involved. However, clinical examination is effective especially in detecting the early stages of oral cancer, particularly in high-risk patients, such as smokers and alcoholics. The purpose of the current paper is to describe several cases of failure to diagnose lesions in the oral cavity during clinical and radiographic examinations, and to discuss how these diagnosis failures may be mitigated.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

A series of three cases of oral tumors ranging from benign to malignant that were not recognized and referred in a timely manner, are presented.

CONCLUSION

The difficulties faced by clinicians in diagnosing oral lesions are elucidated in this case series. The current case series, presenting instances in which pathologies were not detected and/or treated in spite of obvious signs, should serve as a warning for dental professionals. The general practitioner is the "first line of defense" for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, and therefore the implementation of well-established screening protocols is of paramount importance. In light of the low sensitivity ratio of oral examinations, use of biopsies is mandatory when a lesion is suspected.

A verrucous presentation of mycosis fungoides

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and can have a variety of clinical and histological manifestations, including erythrodermic, pustular, bullous, hypo/hyperpigmented, and verrucous forms. We describe a case of a 59-year-old woman who presented with verrucous hyperkeratotic plaques on her distal fingertips, dorsal feet, and areolae that were subsequently biopsied and shown to be mycosis fungoides. This case highlights one of the many atypical manifestations of MF and underscores the need to have a high clinical suspicion for the disease.

Verrucous herpes of the scrotum presenting clinically as verrucous squamous cell carcinoma: case report and review of the literature

We report a case of a 36-year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and an enlarging scrotal mass presumed to be of malignant origin but found to be a rare instance of verrucous herpes simplex type 2 infection of the scrotum. We also review the literature on this subject and discuss pathogenesis of the disease.

Cutaneous verrucous carcinoma - report of three cases with review of literature

Verrucous carcinoma is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma. It is well differentiated and rarely metastases but can sometimes be very aggressive locally in depth. The paper presents three cases of cutaneous verrucous carcinoma with different localizations. The first patient shows a lesion in the sacrogluteal region, the second one presented a tumor localized on the auricle (external ear), and the third patient showed a tumor on the sole of the foot. All patients underwent tumor excision and the histopathological diagnosis was verrucous carcinoma. In the first two cases, the surgery was completely curative by excision of the tumors. In the last case, the patient had relapsed and due to the aggressive nature of the tumor, which infiltrated the deeper plans, the tumor had reached the bone. None of the patients showed any metastases.

[The Buschke-Lowenstein tumor anorectal: to about 16 cases and review of the literature]

La tumeur de Buschke-Lowenstein est une affection rare appartenant au groupe des carcinomes verruqueux. Elle survient le plus souvent chez des sujets pubères en pleine activité sexuelle. Une infection par human papillomavirus (HPV) 6 et 11 est volontiers associée à ces tumeurs. Elle se caractérise par la fréquence des récidives et le risque de transformation maligne. Son traitement est difficile même si l'histologie confirme la bénignité. A partir de 16 observations de TBL et d'une revue de la littérature, les auteurs soulignent les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques, thérapeutiques et évolutifs de cette affection.

[Diagnosis and management of laryngeal verrucous carcinoma (case report in one patient and literature review)]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical, pathological character and differential diagnosis of laryngeal verrucous carcinoma.

METHOD

Clinical data of one case with laryngeal verrucous carcinoma in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULT

The diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma was difficult and depend on repeated biopsy. Verrucous carcinoma of larynx is a highly differentiated variant of squamous carcinoma that has peculiar clinical and morphological features. The basement membrane is not invaded. It is prone to distant metastasis, than to local recurrence. The case underwent the partial laryngectomy, and was followed up for more than 4 years with no recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Verrucous carcinoma of the larynx is a special pattern of the well-differentiated squamous cancer. A correct diagnosis requires close cooperation between the laryngologist and the pathologist. The main treatment of verrucous carcinoma is complete surgical excision to reserve larynx function as far as possible and improve the quality of life.

[Perianal Buschke-Löwenstein tumour]

The Buschke-Löwenstein tumour is an extremely rare, slow-growing cauliflower-like mass, also known as giant condyloma acuminantum or verrucous carcinoma. It is located in the anogenital region and is characterized by its large size, locally destructive behaviour and a high recurrence rate. It has not the potentiel to metastasize but malignant transformation can occur. We report a case of a 49-year-old male patient with a 17 × 10 cm large perianal Buschke-Löwenstein tumour where histologic findings showed the presence of verrucous carcinoma.

Verrucous carcinoma of the tongue

A 75-year-old woman with full dentures had a progressive growth on the tongue for the past 15 years. She reported ulceration of the lesion 4 months prior that was accompanied by pain and odinophagia. She denied addiction to alcohol or tobacco. On examination, there was an ulcerated, vegetating, verrucous lesion, with yellow-whitish areas intermingled with erythematous areas, being infiltrated and having well-defined borders, on almost all areas of the back of the tongue (Figure 1). No adjacent lymphadenopathy was found. Biopsy of the tongue was compatible with verrucous carcinoma demonstrating squamous cell neoplasia with prevailing areas of rounded borders. There were "tunnels" filled with parakeratotic material surrounded by an extensive inflammatory response, plus isolated foci of neutrophils inside the tumor (Figure 2). There were relatively well-differentiated neoplastic cells with little cytological atypia. In addition, there were several foci of individual or grouped dyskeratotic cells (Figure 3), plus tunnelling of parakeratotic material and an intratumor inflammatory response (Figure 4). Following surgical removal, the woman underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

A unique presentation of a squamous cell carcinoma in a pregnant patient

The literature reports an increasing occurrence of carcinoma in the young adult nonsmoking and nondrinking population. With it, this trend brings the potential for new comorbidities. This report discusses one such case in which a 30-year-old woman, 28 weeks pregnant, was diagnosed with a hybrid verrucous carcinoma/squamous cell carcinoma. Several years preceding the presentation of the hybrid lesion, the patient had an odontogenic cyst associated with the same region. The original lesion was reported to have mucosal change overlying it. Newly available immunohistochemical stains were used to review the lesion to assess the potential for aggressiveness and proliferative changes. All the biomarkers were unremarkable, suggesting that the progression of the initial lesion could not have been predicted with the current immunohistochemical stains. This report discusses the diagnosis and treatment of this unusual scenario involving progression of a benign lesion to a malignant hybrid.

Verrucous carcinoma of the foot affecting the bone: utility of the computed tomography scanner

Verrucous Carcinoma (VC) of the foot often affects deep structures such as tendons, muscles or bone. The complete removal of the tumor is essential to avoid recurrences. Radiological studies should be performed before surgical planning in order to determine the extent of the tumor. A 54-year-old man presented with a VC of the foot. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a soft-tissue mass affecting the plantar aponeurosis and the sole muscles, without evidence of bone invasion. Computed tomography (CT) showed a lytic area with cortical disruption in the fourth metatarsal neck. A transmetatarsal amputation was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the bone invasion. MRI is considered the imaging technique of choice in studying VC of the foot. Computed tomography is superior to MRI in determining minimum changes in the cortical bone related to tumor invasion. We conclude that when MRI images are not conclusive, CT scan is a good alternative to determine incipient bone invasion.

Buschke Lowenstein tumor: unusual bilateral localization

BACKGROUND

The tumor of buschke lowenstein or giant condyloma acuminata is a pseudo-épitheliomatous profileration bilonging to verrucous carcinoma group due to their aggressive local evolution. A malignant change as micro invasive carcinoma or epidermoid kératinizing carcinoma well-differentiated was reported. Diagnosis and surgical treatment represents an efficient alternative at the moment that must be precocius and large due to the frequencies of local recurrences and malignant change.

AIM

We present in this stady an observation of an unusual localization of buschke Lowenstein tumor with review of literature.

CASE REPORT

50-year-old men presented with bilateral tumours in the battock area whose diagnosis of buschke Lowenstein tumour has been clinically suspected and confirmed by biopsy and histopathologic study. The cover has been achieved by VY fasciocutaneous flaps of the muscle gluteus maximus.

Verrucous carcinoma of the temporal bone

Verrucous carcinoma is a highly differentiated variant of squamous cell carcinoma. In the literature, 11 cases of primary verrucous carcinoma of the temporal bone have been reported. We present a 48-year-old woman who had undergone radical mastoidectomy because of chronic otitis media 20 years ago; consequently, verrucous carcinoma occurred in the mastoid cavity. We discuss verrucous carcinoma of the temporal bone with the review of literature.

Spindle cell carcinoma of the larynx with a verrucous carcinoma component: Combined carcinoma of larynx

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common neoplasm of the larynx. There are three variants of SCC. Each variant presents distinctive biologic behaviors and clinical courses. Therefore reaching the exact diagnosis and distinguishing the variants is fateful. We describe a case of spindle cell carcinoma of the larynx with a verrucous carcinoma component. To our knowledge, this entity has never been documented before.

Sinonasal hybrid tumour involving the anterior skull base

Objective:

We report a rare case of sinonasal hybrid tumour within an inverted papilloma.

Method:

The patient's case history and course of management are presented. The relevant medical literature are reviewed and discussed.

Results:

A 60-year-old man presented with unilateral nasal obstruction associated with anosmia. An ENT examination revealed a unilateral, left nasal mass. A provisional diagnosis of inverted papilloma was made. The patient underwent a transnasal endoscopic excision of the tumour, which was unfortunately complicated by a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Further treatment of this patient is described. We highlight the features of associated malignancy in inverted papilloma, and the importance of thorough histopathological examination of tissue specimens.

Conclusion:

Treatment of inverted papilloma with limited involvement of the skull base can be successfully achieved by endoscopic excision. A high index of clinical suspicion, together with meticulous histopathological examination, will enable diagnosis of associated malignancy. This will ensure that appropriate adjuvant treatment is given, resulting in a good clinical outcome.

Ackerman-Tumor des Larynx und berufliche Asbestexposition

The so-called "Ackerman's tumor" is a neoplasm of uncertain dignity. Aim of this paper is to clarify, whether this is an asbestos-induced tumor of the larynx in accordance with German regulations for occupational diseases. A 43-year old male presented the clinical picture of a stenosing laryngeal tumor. A verrucous neoplasm without a proven malignity in the sense of an Ackerman's tumor was diagnosed through several sequential biopsies. Approximately 2 years later a total laryngectomy was performed, because of a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. An occupational disease in accordance with 4104 BKV was claimed in connection with an asbestos exposition of 28,3 fibre years (fibres/m3 x years). An Ackerman's tumor is--in accordance with its definition in the German-speaking area--not conclusively malignant, there is no indication of a relation between asbestos and such a tumor in literature, there is no specific benign disorder of the larynx caused by asbestos. This brings us to the conclusion that the Ackerman's tumor of the larynx is no asbestos-induced laryngeal tumor as per German occupational disease regulations.

Verrucous carcinoma of vulva

Vulval carcinoma is an uncommon disease of old women and may manifest as verrucous carcinoma. Intraepithelial cancer of the vulna of women in their twenties and thirties is increasing. Invasive carcinoma of vulva usually appears long time after intraepithelial neoplasia or chronic irritation. We are presenting one young lady of 21 years who noticed whitening of vulva since her childhood and irregular vulval itching in that area. After nine to ten years she further noticed swelling in that area which used to discharge off an on along with itching. As she got married and had disturbed sexual life, on consulting with a specialist doctor, the lesion was diagnosed as an ulcerated malignant growth. Further investigation revealed the lesion to be as verrucous carcinoma of vulva. This is the first report of such case in our country. Any persistent complaints of vulva like itching, discharge, even ulcer should be taken care of for detection of intraepithelial vulvar cancer.

Factors associated with underdiagnosis from incisional biopsy of oral leukoplakic lesions

OBJECTIVES

Incisional biopsy is accepted by most clinicians as a dependable way of assessing the nature of oral leukoplakia (OL). The aim of the present study was to investigate its reliability and analyze risk factors associated with underdiagnosis from incisional biopsy.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted in 242 patients with a clinical diagnosis of OL. The discrepancy between provisional diagnosis (from incisional biopsy) and definitive diagnosis (from resection specimen) was analyzed and correlated with clinical variables. Patients who had incisional biopsy taken from a single location and those who received multiple-site biopsies were analyzed separately.

RESULTS

In the 200 cases receiving single-site biopsy, the agreement rate between provisional and definitive diagnoses was only 56%, and underdiagnosis from incisional biopsy was noted in 29.5% of patients. Underdiagnosis rate in the 42 patients receiving multiple-site biopsies was significantly lower (11.9%; P < .05). The rate of unexpected carcinoma in resection specimen was also significantly lower in the multiple-biopsy patients than in the single-biopsy patients (2.4% vs. 12.0%; P < .05). For the single-biopsy group, multivariate analysis revealed that clinical appearance significantly influenced the risk of underdiagnosis and unexpected carcinoma (both P < .05). Compared with homogeneous lesions, nonhomogeneous OL were more prone to be underdiagnosed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-4.82) and have carcinoma undetected by incisional specimen (AOR 15.94, 95% CI 2.09-121.72).

CONCLUSIONS

Incisional biopsy was found to have limitations in the assessment of OL, especially for nonhomogeneous lesions. Clinicians should be conscious of the possible underdiagnosis from incisional biopsy, and multiple biopsies should be taken whenever they think that it is necessary.

Carcinomes verruqueux des membres inférieurs

BACKGROUND

Verrucous carcinoma is a rare, low-grade, slow-growing, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma affecting the skin (particularly on the foot) and mucosa. The diagnosis is often delayed. We report a study of twelve cases of verrucous carcinoma of the lower limbs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively studied a series of 12 patients (8 women, 4 men) who developed verrucous carcinoma of the lower limbs between 1978 and 2005 and we analyzed their follow-up data.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 78 years (66-97 years). Eleven patients exhibited verrucous carcinoma in a previous lesion comprising varicose ulcer (5 cases), mixed ulcer (3 cases), burn (2 cases) or traumatic lesion (1 case). The mean time from onset of lesions to diagnosis was 28 years. Nine patients showed locoregional extension (8 bone involvement, 3 lymph node involvement). No visceral metastasis was detected. Three patients received medical treatment that proved ineffective. Two received secondary surgical treatment. Nine patients underwent surgery (6 amputations, 3 local excisions). Four patients were lost to follow-up, 4 died, 3 showed no recurrence and 1 had a chronic unhealed wound after surgery.

DISCUSSION

Verrucous carcinoma of the lower limbs is a disease of the elderly, affecting both men and women, and occurring mainly on chronic venous ulcerations. The clinical presentation is evocative although histopathological diagnosis is difficult, particularly in the event of superinfection. Repeated and deep biopsies are needed to avoid delay in diagnosis. Extension is chiefly locoregional and visceral involvement is rare. Medical treatment is ineffective and may even be harmful, with surgery the best option. Regular monitoring is necessary because of the risk of relapse, although verrucous carcinoma does not seem to directly affect patient survival.

[Diagnosis and treatment of penile verrucous carcinoma: a report of 4 cases]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the diagnosis and treatment of penile verrucous carcinoma.

METHODS

The clinical and pathological data of 4 patients with penile verrucous carcinoma were analyzed.

RESULTS

The patients ranged in age from 42 to 76 years (average 52). All the tumors showed exophytic papillary lesions, the biggest being 2.1 to 5.8 cm in diameter. The lesions were confined to the glans penis in two cases and invaded the shafts in the other 2 (1 accompanied by syphilis). One patient, whose tumor was small (1.4 cm in diameter) and confined to the glans penis, underwent glandectomy. One with a larger tumor confined to the glans penis and the other 2 with the shafts involved underwent partial penectomy, including the one accompanied by syphilis, who underwent the operation after treated by Benzathine benzylpenicillin. Histopathological examination of the specimens showed that the tumor cells were mostly well-differentiated and the surgical margins were tumor free in all the 4 cases. HE stain was performed in all the specimens. Microscopic examination revealed papillomatosis and hyperkeratosis of the epithelium, with bulbous projections into the lamina propria consisting of well-differentiated squamous epithelial cells. Marked invasion of the stroma by lymphocytes was noted. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 7 years (average 4.6), revealing no recurrence. The result of the rapid plasma regain (RPR) test was negative but that of the Treponema pallidum passive-particle-agglutination (TPPA) test remained positive in the blood of the patient accompanied by syphilis after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Verrucous carcinoma of the penis is characterized by low malignant potential and locally aggressive nature. It seldom develops metastasis to regional lymphonodes or distant areas. Glandectomy or partial penectomy can be chosen for its treatment, with favorable prognosis.