Penile Melanosis Associated with Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus: First Description in the Medical Literature

Abstract

We present a 74-year-old male patient with 3-years history of visible discoloration of the glans penis, without subjective complaints. Histopathological examination after incision biopsy revealed a moderate increase in the number of melanocytes in the basal layer with irregular distribution, without melanocytic nests, melanophages in the superficial dermis, and subepidermal sclerosus. No cytologic atypia of melanocytes was detectable. The diagnosis of melanosis of the genitalia in association with lichen sclerosus was made. The importance of the presented cases implicated the unique clinical manifestation of penile melanosis, associated with lichen sclerosus of the penis in one hand, the essential differentiation between malignant melanoma via careful histological examination for diagnosis confirmation in other, in order to optimize the therapeutic behavior.