title: Epidermoid cyst of the coronal sulcus mimicking penile cancer: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermoid cysts represent common benign tumors occurring anywhere in the body but very rarely in the penis. Only a few cases of penile localization have been reported in the literature so far, most of them being congenital and/or idiopathic, usually presenting in children as slow-growing, solitary, well-delimited cystic lesions. Here, we describe the case of a patient with a penile epidermoid cyst presenting as an ulcerated lesion of the coronal sulcus, thus mimicking penile cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 36-year-old Caucasian man presented with a three-month history of a rapidly growing asymptomatic ulcerated lesion in the ventral portion of the penile coronal sulcus. At surgical exploration, the area under the ulcerated lesion had a well-demarcated cystic shape; following its wide excision, an intraoperative histological examination revealed an epidermoid cyst. No recurrence had occurred at nine years of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rare benign tumors of the penis, like the described epidermoid cyst, may mimic cancer. Nevertheless, penile ulcerated lesions should always be surgically explored as wide excision and intraoperative histological examination remain the only means of obtaining a precise disease definition and, consequently, administering the appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, University of Foggia, Viale Luigi Pinto 1, 71121 Foggia, Italy. luigicormio@libero.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cormio
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanguedolce
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massenio
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fucci
authors.forename: Pantaleo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bufo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traficante
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010412:Penile Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*