Experiences with Surgical Reconstruction of Penoscrotal Extramammary Paget's Disease: A review of 21 cases

Summary Background Penoscrotal extramammary Paget's disease is a rarely found intraepithelial adenocarcinoma in older male patients. The challenge for surgeons to perform high-quality post-surgery reconstruction is mostly case-dependent. Here, we present a review of post-surgical reconstruction practice in 21 cases using various scrotal skin flaps. Methods During the 10-year study period (from 2008 to 2018), all 21 male patients diagnosed with penoscrotal extramammary Paget's diseases at Sun Yat-sen memorial hospital were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent expanding resections guided by frozen sections and penoscrotal reconstructions using various scrotal skin flaps alone or combined with pubic skin flaps and partial thickness skin graft depending on individual defects. The patient's clinical data, specifically the diagnosis, surgical outcome, and follow-up evaluation were retrospectively analyzed. Results The size of skin lesions ranged from 4 × 5 cm to 16 × 18 cm approximately. Out of 21 total cases, 13 patients received combined scrotal and pubic flaps, three patients received single scrotal flaps, and five patients received scrotal flaps and partial thickness skin grafts. Limited flap tip necrosis (two cases) and wound dehiscence (one case) were observed, and secondary resections were performed in four cases with positive post-operative pathological results. All patients experienced complete wound healing and had well-maintained penile morphology and function. Conclusion Various scrotal skin flaps alone or combined with pubic skin flaps designed for individual lesion conditions in patients with penoscrotal extramammary Paget's disease are efficient for scrotal reconstruction. A good match of the local skin texture helps to maintain the morphology and function of the penis and scrotum.