Penile metastasis from recurrent sarcoma in a teenager: a case report

BACKGROUND: Metastatic tumors of the penis are uncommon, and fewer than 500 cases have been reported since 1870. Most penile secondary tumors originate in organs of the genitourinary tract, followed by the gastrointestinal tract. Primary tumors of sarcoma origin are extremely rare. Herein, we present a teenager who had recurrent sarcoma of the right femur with penile metastasis. CASE PRESENTATION: The 20-year-old male patient was diagnosed with sarcoma of the right femur when he was 16 days old. He was stable following combination chemotherapy with the VAC regimen (vincristine, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide) and debulking surgery. In January 2018, five months ago, he presented with right leg pain and swelling, and a recurrent tumor was found. Following excision of the tumor showed recurrent sarcoma. However, 2 months after the operation, right thigh swelling with tenderness occurred. A firm nodule on the glans of the penis was also noted. Penile metastasis was suspected and a biopsy was performed. The final pathology report disclosed pleomorphic sarcoma with penile metastasis. Symptoms including priapism and inguinal lymph node enlargement progressed rapidly within 2 weeks. He also complained of voiding difficulty with urine retention. The patient died 35 days after admission due to pneumonia with septic shock. CONCLUSION: Penile metasitasis largely occurs from organs in the pelvis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a teenager with a secondary penile tumor, metastasizing from sarcoma of the bone. It presented as a palpable mass, and then progressed into priapism. The patient had a dismal prognosis and the symptoms progressed faster than his physicians anticipated.