A. Davis-daneshfar et Rm. Trueb, Bowen's disease of the glans penis (erythroplasia of Queyrat) in plasma cell balanitis, CUTIS, 65(6), 2000, pp. 395-398
We report a case of a persistent penile plaque on the glans penis of allege
dly more than 20 years' duration, which was refractory to circumcision and
local treatment. Over the years, the patient repeatedly presented with a ci
rcumscribed inflammatory lesion of the glans penis, diagnosed as Zoon's bal
anitis on the basis of clinical aspects and two biopsies. Because of unresp
onsiveness of the lesion to circumcision and focal steroid infiltration, re
peated biopsies were performed in an attempt to rule out malignancy. Two fu
rther biopsies were carried out. One again showed the features of a plasmac
ellular inflammation, while the other finally revealed the histopathologic
features of erythroplasia of Queyrat (carcinoma in situ or Bowen's disease
of the glans penis). We assume that either the former biopsy specimens were
taken from a plasma cell-rich reactive infiltrate around the neoplastic le
sion, or that carcinoma in situ may have arisen due to the chronic inflamma
tion of Zoon's balanitis plasmacellularis. Radiotherapy was performed with
good clinical response and subsequent histopathologic proof of complete rem
ission of the lesion.