Treatment and outcome of Vaseline-induced sclerosing lipogranuloma of the penis

OBJECTIVES To study the treatment and short-term outcome of 16 consecutive cases of sclerosing lipogranuloma of penis developing after Vaseline inoculation for penile augmentation. METHODS After Vaseline inoculation, patient pain was related mainly to erection and severe phimosis. At surgical reconstruction complete and radical excision of the involved penile skin was performed, followed by skin substitution from the existing, saved coat of the penis. In most cases the stored, uninvolved inner preputial skin was used; less frequently scrotal flaps and in the least-favorable cases penis embedment in the scrotum was applied for coverage of the penis. RESULTS All 16 patients were cured, no matter how long after self-injection vaselinoma developed or which kind of surgery was performed. Histopathologic evaluation revealed different findings according to the time elapsed after Vaseline injection. CONCLUSIONS Early detection of patients with Vaseline penile augmentation and urgent surgery are essential because the best esthetic and functional results can be achieved in the acute period; this is when granuloma does not involve the subdermal but only the subcutaneous layer and local penile flaps can most commonly be used for reconstruction.