Bowenoid papules of the penis

The histologic finding of intraepithelial carcinoma of the penis presenting clinically as benign-appearing papules has been emphasized recently in the dermatology literature as bowenoid papulosis. We describe a patient who had multiple papules of the penile shaft, a biopsy specimen of which showed the typical histologic pattern of squamous cell carcinoma in situ. A review of the clinical morphologic range of intraepithelial carcinoma of the penis and the clinical resemblance to such conditions as lichen planus and condyloma acuminatum underscores the need to consider the possibility of squamous cell carcinoma in situ being expressed as bowenoid papules.