title: Predictive pathological factors of lymph nodes involvement in the squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the predictive role of primary tumor histopathological features in predicting inguinal lymph nodes involvement in patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analysed pathological records from 30 consecutive patients who underwent penectomy for invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. All histological specimens were reviewed by the same pathologist. We considered the following histological parameters: histological grading, growth pattern, deph invasion, tumour thickness, nuclear grading, poorly differentiated cancer rate, vascular and lymphatic embolization, eosinophilic and mononuclear infiltration and pathological stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lymph nodes involvement occurred in 5 patients who underwent 'early' lymphadenectomy and in other 4 ones during oncological surveillance. Lymph nodes metastasis resulted significantly correlated with histological grading (p = 0.005), lymphatic (p = 0.005) and venous (p = 0.02) embolization, corpora cavernosa (p = 0.03) and urethra (p = 0.03) infiltration. Histological grading and lymphatic embolization were independent predictive variables of lymph nodes involvement (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The histological grading and lymphatic embolization have to be considered as important parameters to select patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma to undergo an 'early' lymphadenectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Verona, Italy. vincenzoficarra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ficarra
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martignoni
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: Maria Angela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cerruto
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novara
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavalleri
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Artibani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010412:Penile Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies