eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Reactive & Inflammatory Dermatoses

Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: Noah S Scheinfeld, MD, JD, FAAD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Columbia University; Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary; Private Practice
Coauthor(s): George C Keough, MD, Chief, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Dermatology Service, Eisenhower Army Medical Center; Daniel S Lehman, MD, Fellow in Minimally Invasive Urology/Oncology, Department of Urology, Columbia University Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 17, 2008

Differential Diagnoses

Candidiasis, Mucosal
Pemphigus Vulgaris
Erythroplasia of Queyrat (Bowen Disease of the Glans Penis)
Psoriasis, Plaque
Herpes Simplex
Syphilis
Lichen Planus
Warts, Genital
Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus

Other Problems to Be Considered

Fixed drug eruption
Erosive lichen planus
Erosive balanitis
Solitary plasmocytoma
Malignant plasma cell tumors in HIV-infected patients
Syphilis: In 2007, Babu et al5 noted primary syphilis presenting as balanitis.

Workup

Laboratory Studies

  • Diagnosis of PCB is confirmed by distinctive histologic findings upon skin biopsy.

Procedures

  • Skin biopsy

Histologic Findings

Skin biopsy of the PCB lesion reveals suggestive, if not distinctive, changes in the epidermis and dermis. There is epidermal thinning with effacement of the rete ridges. This atrophy may be significant enough to reveal ulceration of the epidermis. Diamond-shaped or lozenge keratinocytes are common. There is also uniform spongiosis, known as "watery spongiosis." Dyskeratotic keratinocytes are not uncommon.

Dermal findings include a dense subepidermal infiltrate with a predominance of plasma cells. Vascular proliferation with erythrocyte extravasation and hemosiderin deposits is noted frequently.

Alessi et al6 analyzed this condition and found that a small group of previously unclassified cases showed common clinical and histopathological features. All of the patients were uncircumcised, and all had long-standing asymptomatic erythematous plaques on the balanopreputial sac. No correlation with sexual intercourse was reported. Histologically, all the specimens showed a thinned and spongiotic epithelium, a bandlike infiltrate of lymphocytes, and histiocytes. A variable number of plasma cells were present in the upper part of the submucosa. The authors concluded that these cases fell within a spectrum of inflammatory noncicatricial disorders, ranging from almost pure lymphohistiocytic forms to forms that fulfill all criteria for balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis of Zoon. They proposed the term idiopathic inflammatory noncicatricial balanoposthitis.

Weyers et al7 studied 45 cases of balanitis of Zoon clinically and histopathologically. They noted that slight epidermal acanthosis and parakeratosis and a patchy lichenoid infiltrate of lymphocytes and some plasma cells were present early. They also reported epidermal atrophy and erosions, a scattering of neutrophils in the upper reaches of the epidermis, scant spongiosis, RBC extravasation, and a much denser infiltrate with many plasma cells as late findings in one case. Late changes included subepidermal clefts, ulceration, superficial dermal marked fibrosis, and a marked increase of siderophages.

These findings suggested that PCB results from irritation or mild trauma involving scantly keratinized skin in a moist environment. Weyers et al also noted that balanitis of Zoon may be found superimposed on the skin eruptions of other types of cutaneous pathology and that it can alter such histopathology. Some eruptions diagnosed as PCB included allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus, and Bowen disease. Their conclusion was that PCB is simply a reaction pattern.

Of the 112 persons with a clinical diagnosis of PCB studied by Kumar et al,4 96 underwent histopathological tissue analysis. Histological features included (1) epidermal edema; (2) a dense upper dermal band of chronic inflammatory cells, including many plasma cells; (3) dilated capillaries and extravasated red blood cells; and (4) hemosiderin deposition.

More on Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis

Overview: Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis
Treatment & Medication: Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis
Follow-up: Balanitis Circumscripta Plasmacellularis
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

plasma cell balanitis, Zoon balanitis,  plasma cell mucositis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Noah S Scheinfeld, MD, JD, FAAD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Columbia University; Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary; Private Practice
Noah S Scheinfeld, MD, JD, FAAD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Optigenex Consulting fee Independent contractor

Coauthor(s)

George C Keough, MD, Chief, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Dermatology Service, Eisenhower Army Medical Center
George C Keough, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Daniel S Lehman, MD, Fellow in Minimally Invasive Urology/Oncology, Department of Urology, Columbia University Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Janet Fairley, MD, Professor, Program Director, Section Chief, Department of Dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin
Janet Fairley, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Dermatological Association, American Federation for Medical Research, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Richard P Vinson, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Mountain View Dermatology, PA
Richard P Vinson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Military Dermatologists, Texas Dermatological Society, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Rosalie Elenitsas, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Director, Penn Cutaneous Pathology Services, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Rosalie Elenitsas, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Dermatopathology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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