BALANITIS CIRCUMSCRIPTA PLASMACELLULARIS

Course overview

BALANITIS CIRCUMSCRIPTA IS A CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC REACTIVE BALANOPOSTHITIS THAT CAN OCCUR IN UNCIRCUMCISED MEN AND IS CAUSED BY A DYSFUNCTIONAL FORESKIN. IT TYPICALLY PRESENTS ON THE PRECUPE, GLANS PENIS, OR BOTH WITH SYMMETRICAL, WELL-MARGINATED, ERYTHEMATOUS, SHINY PLAQUES WITH PINPOINT REDDER SPOTS, “CAYENNE PEPPER SPOTS”. IT IS A BENIGN CONDITION BUT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA. ETIOLOGY IS UNCLEAR, THOUGH MULTIPLE THEORIES HAVE BEEN POSITED. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT IN OF BALANITIS CIRCUMSCRIPTA AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE DELIVERY FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS. VEGETATIVE, EROSIVE AND “MULTIPLE” LESION VARIANTS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED. USUALLY, THE CONDITION IS ASYMPTOMATIC, THOUGH PRURITUS MAY BE PRESENT. THE COURSE TENDS TO BE CHRONIC AND MAY PERSIST FOR MONTHS TO YEARS, AND SOMETIMES POORLY RESPONSIVE TO TOPICAL TREATMENT.