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Case Reports
. 2022 May 9:9:814832.
doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.814832. eCollection 2022.

A Case Report and Review of the Literature of Penile Metastasis From Rectal Cancer

Azuolas Kaminskas  1 , Ausvydas Patasius  2   3 , Marius Kincius  2 , Virginijus Sapoka  3 , Rytis Zilevicius  1 , Aušra Garnelytė  4 , Audrius Dulskas  1   3
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case Report and Review of the Literature of Penile Metastasis From Rectal Cancer

Azuolas Kaminskas et al. Front Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Metastatic involvement of the penis in cases of rectal cancer is exceptionally rare condition. Our clinical case report and review of the literature will contribute in complementing currently limited data on penile metastasis from rectal cancer.

Case report: We report a case of a 64-year-old male diagnosed with penile metastasis from rectal cancer. The patient was treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). However, penile metastasis developed 3 years later, clinically presenting as penile pain and solid formations along the entire length of the penis with visible tumor in the head of the penis. The amputation of penis was performed, and adjuvant chemotherapy was prescribed. The patient survived only 6 months.

Conclusion: Penile metastasis from rectal cancer in most cases is a lethal pathology that indicates wide dissemination of oncological disease and has a very poor prognosis. Aggressive surgical treatment is doubtful in metastatic disease as this will negatively affect the quality of life.

Keywords: case report; corpus spongiosum; literature review; penile metastasis; rectal cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Axial and (b) sagittal computed tomography scan planes, showing irregular accumulation of contrast in the penis without distant metastases (white arrows).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cribriform tumor structures in the corpus cavernosum (HE, original magnification ×40).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tumor structures near the urethra (HE, original magnification ×100).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cribriform tumor structures with dirty necrosis. Lymphovascular invasion (marked with arrows) (HE, original magnification ×100).
Figure 5
Figure 5
CDX2 immunohistochemistry. Positive nuclear staining in tumor cells (original magnification ×40).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Timeline of the presented case.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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