Isolated penile lymphedema in an adolescent male: a case of metastatic Crohn's disease

Abstract

Objective: Metastatic Crohn's disease is a rare and complex inflammatory condition distinguished by cutaneous granulomatous lesions outside the gastrointestinal tract. Genital involvement is rare; with less than 10 cases reported involving isolated penile lymphedema. Here, we present a case of isolated lymphedema of the penis as a consequence of extra-intestinal Crohn's disease.

Case report: The patient is an 18-year-old African American male with a complex history of inflammatory bowel disease, who initially presented with a chief complaint of 6 weeks of swelling of his penis at age 13. A modified circumcision and lymphangectomy of the penis were performed; histopatholgy demonstrated a granulomatous infiltrate and interstitial edema of the distal penis.

Conclusion: Surgical intervention is an applicable therapeutic alternative and last-line therapy for treatment of isolated penile lymphedema in select patients with appropriate pathology, and can be a suitable adjunct to medical management in these cases.