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British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research - Vol. 10, No. 4

Publication Date: August 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/bjhmr.104.15285.

Velázquez-Viniegra, I., Figueroa-Araujo, D., Flores-López, A. A., Ramírez-Jiménez, D. I., Cano-García, M. X., Almeida-Navarro, J. S., &

Padrón-Arredondo, G. (2023). Sclerosing Lipogranuloma of the Penis Secondary to Olive Oil: Case Report. British Journal of

Healthcare and Medical Research, Vol - 10(4). 231-236.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Sclerosing Lipogranuloma of the Penis Secondary to Olive Oil:

Case Report

Itzel Velázquez-Viniegra

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

Demián Figueroa-Araujo

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

Alejandro Alberto Flores-López

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

Daniela Isabel Ramírez-Jiménez

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

Maria Ximena Cano-García

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

José Samuel Almeida-Navarro

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

Guillermo Padrón-Arredondo

Surgery Department of Hospital General

"Dr. Aquiles Calles Ramírez" ISSSTE, Tepic, Nayarit, México

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic granulomatous inflammation can develop after injecting

sclerosants, such as foreign oily substances, into the penis. The disorder primarily

affects the administration site, but regional lymphadenopathy may appear to be a

systemic disease. Clinical Case: A 25-year-old male patient, single with grade I

obesity and initially from Nayarit, Mexico. He started his current condition three

months ago after injecting olive oil into the penis to increase its thickness.

Subsequently, he went to the general practitioner to present a picture of partial

urinary obstruction after one week of evolution due to the increased volume of the

foreskin, for which his doctor decided to cut the foreskin to free the glans penis and

thus resolve the obstructive picture. Discussion: Paraffinomas result from an

injection of a foreign substance that contains a linear chain of saturated

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British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research (BJHMR) Vol 10, Issue 4, August- 2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

hydrocarbons, such as mineral oil or paraffin. The body lacks the enzymes to

metabolize the interstitial exogenous oils; consequently, a foreign body reaction

occurs. Patients often present with penile deformity because the oil and subsequent

granuloma cannot extend beyond the standard anatomical planes of the genitalia.

The foreign body reaction manifests in inflammation and induration, edema,

scarring, necrosis, deformity, ulceration, painful erections, and, eventually, the

inability to perform sexual activities. Reactive lymphadenopathy of the region

develops, and gross deformity can lead to clinical confusion with a misdiagnosis of

neoplastic and often warrants biopsy.

Keywords: Sclerosing lipogranuloma, Self-injection penis, Penile augmentation,

Paraffinoma.

INTRODUCTION

Chronic granulomatous inflammation can develop after injecting sclerosants, such as foreign

oily substances, into the penis. The disorder primarily affects the administration site, but

regional lymphadenopathy may appear to be a systemic disease.

Paraffinoma is a foreign body reaction incited by exogenous agents such as oily substances.

Other frequently used names for the disorder include sclerosing lymphogranuloma, mineral oil

granuloma, and oleo granuloma. The first paraffin injection was reported by Gersuny in 1899

when injected mineral oil into the scrotum of a child who had undergone bilateral orchiectomy

for genital tuberculosis.

The effects of the injection of oils were reported as early as 1906 by Heidingsfeld, who

described disfiguring subcutaneous nodules in two patients who received paraffin injections

for facial wrinkles. Based on the resulting complications, this practice is infrequent in Western

countries; however, it is still an activity in the Dayak Borneo tribe; in the past, a ritual of drilling

the glans and inserting items into the resulting orifices for stimulation was widely practiced.

The Topinama of Brazil has a tradition that a poisonous snake that bites its penis will make it

bigger.

The use of mineral oil for genital augmentation in modern times was undertaken by Robert

Gersuny, who injected Vaseline into a boy who had undergone a bilateral orchiectomy for

genital tuberculosis. The procedure's success encouraged him to use Vaseline as filler for

another soft tissue defect. Foreign materials are injected into different body organs (e.g., the

penis, breasts, cheeks, eyelids, muscles, and nose), similar to today's widespread botox injection

(1).

CLINICAL CASE

Male patient of 25 years old, single with grade I obesity, and initially from Nayarit, Mexico. He

has a history of HIV infection of 5 years of evolution in treatment with TDF (tenofovir) / 3TC

(lamivudine) / DTG (dolutegravir), currently with undetectable viral load. He refers to the

consumption of tobacco and occasional alcohol as well as risky sexual practices up to six

months ago.

He started his current condition three months ago after injecting olive oil into the penis to

increase its thickness. Subsequently, he went to the general practitioner to present a picture of