Pseudoglandular (adenoid, acantholytic) squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. A case report

A case of so-called pseudoglandular (adenoid, acantholytic) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis occurring in a 60-year-old man is described. The tumor showed, in addition to the pattern of conventional moderately to poorly differentiated SCC, a component of tubular-appearing pseudoglandular SCC. No precancerous dysplastic lesion was found near the lesion. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells expressed pancytokeratin, p53 and p63, and they were negative for endothelial markers, carcinoembryonic antigen and p 16. Stains for mucin were negative. Metastases were found in the regional lymph nodes and spermatic cord. Four weeks after the penectomy, multiple cutaneous/subcutaneous metastases appeared and metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes were visualized through a CT scan. The advanced stage of the tumor seen in the present case further confirms that pseudoglandular SCC represents a highly aggressive tumor.