Acorn Inflammation (Balanitis): Or something else? Differential Diagnosis

Skin and subcutaneous (L00-L99).

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

  • Behçet’s disease (synonym: Adamantiades-Behçet’s disease; Behçet’s disease; Behçet’s aphthae) – multisystem disease of the rheumatic type associated with recurrent, chronic vasculitis (vascular inflammation) of the small and large arteries and mucosal inflammation; The triad (the occurrence of three symptoms) of aphthae (painful, erosive mucosal lesions) in the mouth and aphthous genital ulcers (ulcers in the genital region), as well as uveitis (inflammation of the middle eye skin, which consists of the choroid (choroid), the corpus ciliary (corpus ciliare) and the iris) is stated as typical for the disease; a defect in cellular immunity is suspected

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Bowen’s disease – intraepidermal carcinoma in situ referred to and considered a precursor of squamous cell carcinoma; affects mainly older men; raised, brown-red, scaly plaques (areal or squamous substance proliferation of the skin) on the penile shaft skin.
  • Paget’s carcinoma – genital (rare).
  • Erythroplasia Queyrat – precancerous lesion similar to Bowen’s disease (possible precancerous lesion) of transitional epithelium and mucous membranes; clinical picture: solitary roundish and polycyclic configured foci with reddish shiny surface; predilection site in males is the inner preputial blade and glans penis (glans), in females is the transitional mucosa of the vulva (female pubis); progression into invasive spinocellular carcinoma has been described in approx. one third of cases described
  • Penile carcinoma (penile cancer).

Genitourinary system (kidneys, urinary tract – sex organs) (N00-N99).

  • Rim lymphangitis – cord-like hardening of the glans, due to frequent sexual intercourse or balanitis.