Description
Dermoid cysts are true hamartomas that occur when skin and skin structures become trapped during fetal development. The present paper describes a toddler with a dermoid cyst in glans penis which is extremely rare. We present a Caucasian toddler who had an important painless progressively increasing swelling of the glans penis dating back to early infancy. It was thought of a smegma cyst and when the foreskin became completely retractile at the age of 4 years, it became apparent that actually it was a lesion well below the covering epithelium of the glans penis in the midline (figure 1). On examination, a subepithelial well-circumscribed firm non-tender mass on the dorsal aspect of the midline of the glans penis covered by the fully retractile prepuce was present. There was no punctum, sinus or a fistula discharging pus or urine (figure 2). Laboratory tests, urine dipstick and microscopy and culture were negative. Ultrasound scan showed a well-defined cystic lesion with echogenic material filled in the lumen and a possibility of a dermoid cyst, a hamartoma or a sarcomatous slow-growing variant lesion was considered. At excisional biopsy a thick-walled cystic lesion in the subepithelial tissue of midline of glans was shelled out easily. His postoperative period was uneventful and at follow-up the wound has healed primarily. Cut section showed putty-like material. Histopathology examination revealed identification of a cyst having the epithelial lining and skin appendages (figure 3). A dermoid cyst of the glans penis in children has not been reported previously in the literature.1–3 It is congenital but may present later and mimic other lesions as was considered in our case. It may mimic a solid slow-growing sarcomatous lesion as the glans is compact and a tense cyst simulates a firm mass. Dermoid cyst of penis skin and not of the glans penis was described for the first time in a young Caucasian man by Tomasini et al.4
Learning points.
Congenital lesions of the glans penis may present later on in life and may mimic a smegma cyst or hamartomatous lesions or sarcomatous ones clinically or on imaging.
Midline masses on the glans or penile shaft should raise a suspicion of a dermoid or an epidermoid lesion in children.
Surgical exploration and excision with gross appearance and cut section together with histopathology confirms the diagnosis and the prognosis is excellent.
Figure 1.
Clinical photograph showing top view of the dermoid cyst of the glans penis.
Figure 2.
Side view of the glans dermoid cyst.
Figure 3.
Microphotograph of the cyst showing cyst lining and skin appendages.
Footnotes
Contributors: All authors have actively participated in the preparation, editing and finalisation of this manuscript.
Competing interests: None.
Patient consent: Obtained.
Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
References
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