Pure Verrucous Carcinoma of the Penis: Two Cases

Verrucous carcinoma is a rare, extremely well differentiated squamous carcinoma with low clinical malignant potential first described in 1948 in the oral cavity [1]. Since then, it has been described in other sites, such as the anus, penis, and the female genitalia [1]. Based on the literature, verrucous carcinoma accounts for approximately 3-8% of all penile cancers and 20% of verruciform lesions of the penis, which also include giant condyloma (Buschke-Löwenstein), warty carcinoma and papillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) [1-4]. In the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, each verruciform lesion is clearly defined with histological criteria and verrucous carcinoma is considered a distinct pathological entity separate from the other verruciform tumors. However, the term “verrucous carcinoma” has been used for giant condyloma (Buschke-Löwenstein) and warty carcinoma in past literature, and thus, the true frequency of verrucous carcinoma may be lower than generally assumed [3,4]. In Japan, there have been 83 reported cases of penile verrucous carcinoma [5]. Here, we report two cases of pure penile verrucous carcinoma and discuss the pathological findings.