[Surgical pathology of the scrotum. An analysis of a series of 56 cases].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the incidence and the clinical and histopathological features of non-inflammatory scrotal lesions with special reference to the non-neoplastic lesions, which are the most common.

METHODS

The cases of scrotal surgical pathology of the Hospital Nuestra Señora del Pino from 1988-1997 were reviewed. Skin biopsies for dermatological conditions, Fournier's gangrene, inflammatory-infectious lesions, hydroceles, lesions that could cause secondary involvement of the scrotal wall (e.g., spermatoceles) and invasive lesions from adjacent tumors were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

14 cases (4 neoplastic and 10 non-neoplastic lesions) were specifically analyzed. Of these 10 non-neoplastic lesions, 7 were epidermoid cysts (3 multiple) and 3 idiopathic calcinosis. The latter, which are discussed at length, presented in middle-aged patients (56, 45 and 42 years) as multiple nodules that had gradually appeared over several years (20 years in one of the cases) and had been invariably diagnosed as "sebaceous scrotal cysts". Their form of presentation and treatment are similar to those of true scrotal epidermoid cysts, with which they might be related.

CONCLUSIONS

In our series, the most common primary scrotal lesions were non-neoplastic and comprised two types whose pathogenic relationship has as yet not been elucidated: simple epidermoid or epidermal cysts (half of which were multiple lesions) and less frequently idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum.