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Category: Volume 05 Issue 11 November 2017
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Title: Lesions of the Foreskin – Histopathological Study of Circumcision Specimens

Authors: Dr (Mrs) Alka Vikas Gosavi, Dr (Mrs) Kalpana Ranjitsingh Sulhyan, Dr Poonam Dattaram Gad

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i11.136

Abstract

Foreskin or prepuce is the anatomical covering of male external genitalia. It covers the distal part of external surface of penis. Diseases of foreskin may manifest as an array of pathological conditions which includes nonspecific inflammation, premalignant conditions like Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) or Balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) and malignant tumours like squamous cell carcinoma. Previous studies have shown strong association of squamous cell carcinoma arising in the settings of long standing lichen sclerosus of the penis. Hence, overall, benign lesions constituted 97.16% and malignant cases were reported in 2.8% of cases.

BXO is many times missed clinically and hence the definite diagnosis is made only by histopathological examination.

We studied 106 specimens of foreskin following medical indication for circumcision in a tertiary care hospital. The study period was 1.5 years and included 71 paediatric patients and 35 adult patients. Majority of the patients presented with phimosis. The chronic nonspecific inflammation was observed as the most common lesion (n=83, 77.58%) whereas granulomatous inflammation was identified in3cases (2.8%).We also observed 13 cases of Balanitis xerotica obliterans (12.15%), out of which 5 cases (38.46%) were diagnosed on clinical grounds while rest were histopathological diagnoses. The incidence of BXO in pediatric age group was 4.22%. Well differentiated Squamous cell carcinoma was reported in 3 of the cases (2.8%). Since majority of the foreskin pathologies present with clinical symptoms of phimosis, microscopic examination following circumcision is a must, to correctly detect the histopathological lesion.

Keywords: Foreskin, Balanitis xerotica obliterans, circumcision, phimosis, SCC.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Poonam Dattaram Gad

Department of Pathology, Government Medical College and Hospital,

Miraj, Maharashtra, India

Contact no. 9765795886, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.