Learning objectives
We aim to create an educational pictorial essay,
illustrating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of primary and metastatic penile malignancies.
Here,
we highlight the normal anatomy of the penis as seen on MRI and the various imaging findings encountered in diagnosing and staging penile malignancies.
Background
Carcinoma of the penis is a rare disease accounting for less than 1% of cancers in men in the United States [1].
Surprisingly,
in less developed countries,
penile cancer accounts for 10% to 20% of all malignancies in men [2].
The main prognostic factors for carcinoma of the penis are the degree of invasion by the primary tumor and the status of the draining lymph nodes [3].
Although physical examination can help predict primary tumor size and the extent of cavernosal infiltration,
magnetic resonance imaging...
Findings and procedure details
Six patients who had MRI of the penis at University Hospital Limerick in 2016 – 2018 were included.
In this pictorial essay we highlight the normal anatomy of the penis as seen on MRI and the various imaging consideration needed for the diagnosis and staging penile malignancies.
Conclusion
MRI exquisitely depicts the anatomy of the penis.
Primary penile neoplasms are often solitary,
ill-defined infiltrating lesions that are usually hypo-intense relative to the corpora on both T1 and T2 weighted images.
These lesions enhance but less than adjacent corpora.
[8].
T2 weighted and gadolinium enhanced T1 weighted images are used to define the local extent of the neoplasm and enable potential tissue sparing surgery [8].
Metastases to the penis present as multiple low signal intensity lesions in corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum on both...
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