Clinical, epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of erythroplasia of Queyrat

ABSTRACT

BACKROUND: Erythroplasia of Queyrat (ICD D 07.4) is a cancer of the skin of the glans penis and the inner layer of the foreskin. It is lassified as squamous cell carcinoma in situ. However, current literature lacks data on the prevalence of this disease in various age groups.

AIM: To study the clinical and epidemiological aspects of erythroplasia of Queyrat and evaluate the effectiveness of various diagnostic methods.

METHODS: A retrospective observational study of 327 case histories of patients who sought medical help for penile lesions of various origins was conducted, and 49 patients with erythroplasia of Queyrat (EC) were observed. In the diagnosis of EC, the following were used: staining with toluidine blue, dermatoscopy, cytological and histological examinations, additionally an ultrasound examination (US) of the penis and inguinal lymph nodes, an examination for sexually transmitted infections and a transrectal ultrasound examination (TRUS) of the prostate gland were performed.

RESULTS: Observation of 49 patients with EC revealed a clear rejuvenation: in those under 29 years of age, the disease is diagnosed in 12.24%, and in those 30-39 years of age - 20.4%.The largest proportion (30.61%) were aged 50-59 years, and the age group 60-79 years accounted for 18.36% of patients. Patient behavior upon detection of penile rashes: 89.8% of patients consulted doctors of various specialties (urologist, dermatovenerologist, oncologist, etc.), and 10.2% self-medicated. The timing of patients' visits to specialists after penile rashes is also alarming: 4.0% of patients visited a doctor within 1 week, 83.6% after 1 month, 8.1% after 1 year to 5 years, and 2.0% after more than 5 years; 2% of patients could not indicate the duration of the disease. Thus, patients with a disease history of 1 year or more (12.1%) can be considered at the highest risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (Penile SCC). The final diagnosis of Penile SCC was made by a dermatovenerologist during the initial or follow-up visit (93.87%), by an oncologist during the initial visit (4.08%), and by a urologist during the initial or follow-up visit (2.04%). Thus, we see the importance of knowledge of the clinical picture and diagnostic methods by dermatovenerologists, since the majority of patients with EC turn to these specialists.

CONCLUSION: We have filled the gap in the modern assessment of clinical and epidemiological aspects and the effectiveness of diagnostics in patients with erythroplasia of Queyrat. The study's results will help expand knowledge about the clinical and epidemiological aspects of the disease and the value of diagnostic methods, which will facilitate the selection of effective diagnostics and the development of treatment methods for EC.

Keywords: erythroplasia of Queyrat; dermatoscopy, toluidine blue, cytological and histological examination.