Keir’s disease (or Keir’s erythroplasia) is a precancerous condition, that is, a tumor that can turn into squamous cell skin cancer, accompanied by the spread of metastases. This pathological Keir’s disease has similarities with Bowen’s disease (a cancerous tumor is located inside the epidermis). It develops very slowly and manifests itself on the head of the penis in the form of suppuration of a bright red color with clear boundaries.
The content of the article:
Causes of Keir’s disease
Symptoms of Keira’s disease
Diagnosis of Keir’s disease
Treatment of Keir’s disease
Prognosis for Keir’s disease
Keir’s disease
In most cases, men and women perceive suppuration on the mucous membranes of the genitals, oral cavity as a minor inflammatory process, completely unaware that the cause lies in the malignant transformation of erythroplasia of the Keir. This pathological disease occurs mainly in men, but can also be diagnosed in women.
Causes of Keir’s disease
To date, doctors have not established the exact cause of this pathological disease in men, but they managed to find out what are the main factors that cause it:
slight injury or injury to the glans penis;
untimely treatment of genital herpes;
non-compliance or violation of personal hygiene rules;
development of oncogenic viruses (papillomas);
chronic diseases of the male genital organs or vagina.
Symptoms of Keira’s disease
The lesion of Keir’s disease is localized on the inside of the foreskin of the penis, causing unpleasant pain sensations in the patient. The most typical signs of this disease are a white plaque, easily eliminated mechanically, and a glossy surface of the glans penis.
During the growth of the Keir tumor, pain may increase and bleeding may occur. This disease can turn into squamous cell carcinoma on the penis, manifesting itself in the form of superficial or deep rough growths covered with a purulent, bloody crust. Therefore, when the first signs appear, the patient should immediately seek medical help from a specialist. In case of untimely initiation of treatment of Keir’s tumor, it can be removed only by surgical intervention.
Diagnosis of Keir’s disease
It is quite difficult to diagnose Keir’s disease. First, the specialist establishes a diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and the results of histological examination of samples of the affected skin tissue.
In order to make the correct diagnosis for the presence of squamous cell carcinoma, the patient undergoes a cytological examination, during which specialists examine the smear taken from the patient at the cellular level. This analysis allows you to detect the presence of cancer cells.
To detect inflammatory processes, a special solution containing a dye is applied to the affected areas of the skin of the genitals. In inflammatory diseases, the skin does not stain, and in the presence of a Keir tumor, it acquires a blue hue.
Treatment of Keir’s disease
After the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment depending on the timing of tumor development, namely:
surgical operation with the use of liquid nitrogen (with the development of a Keir tumor);
radiation therapy (in case of transformation of a tumor into cancer);
chemotherapy;
laser removal of affected lymph nodes;
the use of cytological ointments.
Also, the patient may be circumcised of the affected part of the foreskin of the penis, which will stop the further development of Keir’s disease.
Prognosis for Keir’s disease
As a rule, with timely treatment of Keir’s disease, all patients recover. The healing period lasts no more than six months, but rehabilitation can last up to ten months. The prognosis may be unfavorable if the tumor degenerates into cancer. Men and women, of course, should remember about preventive measures, which consist in the earliest detection of the disease and active therapy. And in case of any of the above symptoms, immediately consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive course of treatment using external remedies and general chemotherapeutic agents.
