Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis

What it is

A rare urogenital tumor characterized by origin from squamous epithelial cells of the penis, most commonly the glans or inner surface of the prepuce. Macroscopically, the tumors can appear either papillary or flat and ulcerating. Histological subtypes include usual squamous cell carcinoma as the most common type, as well as basaloid, warty, verrucous, papillary, and mixed carcinomas. Patients may initially be asymptomatic but present with itching, bleeding, discharge, foul odor, and pain, as the disease progresses. Regional lymph node involvement is common, while distant metastases occur only late in the disease. Risk factors include HPV infection, smoking, poor hygiene, and HIV infection. Neonatal circumcision is implicated as strongly protective.

Key facts

Prevalence

1-9 / 1 000 000 (annual incidence, Europe)

Age of onset

Elderly

Inheritance

Not applicable

Classified as

Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Cross-references