Search

Introduction: Radical orchiectomy (RO) is still considered the standard of care for malignant germ cell tumours, which represent the vast majority of the palpable testicular masses. In those patients diagnosed with small testicular masses (STMs), testis-sparing surgery (TSS) could be an alternative treatment to RO. The aim of this updated review is to evaluate the current indications for TSS, and discuss the oncological and functional results of patients who had undergone organ-sparing surgery for STMs., Evidence Acquisition: A non-systematic review of the Literature using the Medline database has been performed, including a free-text protocol using the terms "testis-sparing surgery", "testicular sparing surgery", "partial orchiectomy", "testis tumour", "sex cord tumour", and "testis function". Other significant studies cited in the reference lists of the selected papers were also evaluated., Evidence Synthesis: No randomized controlled trials comparing TSS with radical orchiectomy have been reported yet. In those patients with normal contra-lateral testis, the use of TSS is still controversial. In selected cases of gonadal masses < 2 cm, TSS seems to be a safe and feasible treatment option. Frozen section examination allows us to discriminate between benign and malignant neoplasms during TSS. Intermediate and long-term follow-up results showed no significant risk of local and distant recurrences in the main series reported in the literature., Conclusions: TSS is an effective treatment for STMs in selected patients, limiting the unnecessary surgical over-treatments, without compromising the oncological and functional outcomes. Further studies are needed in order to confirm the oncological safety., (Copyright © 2013 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The "burned-out" phenomenon in germ-cell neoplasias is defined by the presence of an extragonadal germ-cell tumour with no tumour at the testis level where a series of distinctive histological lesions can be detected indicative of the earlier presence of an already disappeared testicle tumoration. Extragonadal germ-cell tumours with "burned-out" phenomenon show better evolution than their primary counterparts and are treated similarly to primary tumours of the testis. Currently, in the presence of retroperitoneal tumoration, a scrotal ultrasound study with high frequency transducers can lead to a suspected picture of tumoral involution. This paper contributes one retroperitoneal seminoma with "burned-out" phenomenon in the homolateral testis in a 35-year old patient. Available clinical and radiological criteria were enough to reach a suspected diagnosis. Homolateral orchiectomy and biopsy of retroperitoneal tumoration were performed, rounding treatment up with polychemotherapy. Evolution was good with immediate complete response.

Case report of an embryonary paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma. The paper includes a literature review and discusses the current diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic criteria analyzing in detail the current role of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy and the value of adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Over the last few years a number of testicular tumours in seropositive patients or patients with AIDS-diagnostic factors have been described in the literature with no clear relationship having been established between both conditions. Most authors believe management should not differ from that being given to non-immunodeficient patients. The paper presents one case of non-seminomatous germinal tumour in a 41-year old homosexual patient, HIV positive, with unfavourable evolution in spite of the treatment received.

Tumours derived from sex cords and primitive gonadal stroma account for 4% of total testicular tumours. The low frequency of Sertoli's cells tumour (SCT) and the uneven study and follow-up of patients makes analysis of this tumoral entity difficult. This paper contributes one case report of a Sertoli's giant cell tumour calcified in a 13-year old patient, and reviews the clinical aspects, clinico-pathological varieties believed to require assessment in patients with this type of disease. This type of tumour is considered benign in its biological behaviour, although some malignant forms have also been described. SCT is actually an heterogeneous tumoral pathogenic entity with regard to pathogenic and prognostic aspects. Our final conclusions show that the clinico-pathological variety, age, size and associated clinical manifestations appear to be related to the prognosis.

Paratesticular vascular lesions are very uncommon. One of them, the epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, is a vascular tumour which grows around a vessel and in characterized for presenting epithelioid endothelial cells. Is very rare and it has good prognosis. This paper reports one case of paratesticular epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

Burned-out testicular tumour is an uncommon entity defined by the spontaneous regression of the testicular tumoral site after spread to metastasis, leaving behind a scarring lesion with typical histological changes. This paper reports one case of burned-out testicular tumour diagnosed and treated initially as an embryonic carcinoma with areas of extragonadal malignant immature teratoma that after nine years of follow-up reveals the primary testicular site. Physical examination and detailed ultrasound study of the testes is of the greatest significance in stem cells tumours with extragonadal location, given the prospect of identifying the primary testicular lesion as a burned-out tumoral site and performing radical treatment of these tumours.

Leydig's cells tumours are a variant of testicular tumours. Its has a low incidence, accounting for just 1-3% of all testicular tumours. This tumour is characterized by its endocrine manifestations, and it is an element in the differential diagnosis of many endocrine sexual dysfunctions both in adults and children, due to the tumour's capacity to secrete hormones. This paper contributes 5 cases of Leydig's cells tumours diagnosed in our hospital between 1977 and 1993.

Near 70% of patients diagnosed with testicular seminoma make their presentation without metastasis. Although spread at the time of diagnosis is the rule, 25% of non-seminomatous germ-cell tumours are found confined to the testicle at presentation. Standardization of diagnostic and follow-up methods -within reach of most urology services- should allow a closer relationship between urologists and testicular tumours. Observation of "aggressive" surveillance schedules for stage I non-seminomatosous tumours confined with no risk factors, and use of radiotherapy to treat low degree (I,IIa and IIb) seminomas should allow urologists an initial control of up to 50% of patients. Occurrence of relapse or presentation in advanced stages force the use of chemotherapy. The present paper outlines the most basic aspects of non-surgical treatment of patients with testicular tumours.

Report of one paratesticular RMS in a 28 year-old male. The paper includes a review of the various clinical, etiopathogenic and therapeutic features involved. RMS is a neoplasia difficult to diagnose through M.O. and, quite often, it is necessary to use immunohistochemical techniques in order to discover some of the muscular fibre markers, such as Desmin, Myosin and Myoglobin. Several theories have been put forward to explain its origin, and the most widely accepted defends an origin in a poorly differentiated mesenchymal tissue. The advantages of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy following orchiectomy are discussed as treatment.

Appearance of residual masses following chemotherapy of retroperitoneal metastasis from testicle's non-seminomatous germinal cell tumour does not always imply we are facing an active tumoral disease. When exeresis of these masses discovers the presence of a mature teratoma during the histological study, what we have is the so called Growing Teratoma Syndrome. Such teratoma is unresponsive to chemotherapy but the patient can be cured by means of a full exeresis of the residual mass, thus the relevance of having into account the likelihood of this pathology. The paper presents the case of a patient with retroperitoneal non-seminomatous testicle tumour and metastasis which, following chemotherapy, presented a residual mass with normal serological markers. After the exeresis it was found out that it was made up by mature teratoma. Four months after rescue surgery, the patient remains asymptomatic, has normal markers and no signs of neoplastic recurrence.

Ureteral triplicity is a rare abnormality of which there are less than a hundred cases reported up to date. The possible absence of clinical signs can explain why this malformation passes unnoticed specially when there are blind branches and dysplastic renal segments. The paper presents the case of a 43 year-old male, attending the clinic on a testicle tumour consultation, in which in spite of the previously mentioned circumstances a preoperative diagnosis of trifid ureter with ipsilateral ureterocele and renal dysplasia was reached owing to the use of C.A.T.

Between 1974 and 1988, 35 testicle germinal tumours, 16 seminomas and 19 non seminomas, were studied. Mean age in seminoma cases was 34 years and 26 in non seminoma cases; the former were mainly presented as located stages at the time of diagnosis (75%) while the latter were, on the contrary, mostly stages II and III. Following orchiectomy, all histologically pure seminomas received radiotherapy with the exception of two cases. All of them are presently free from the disease with an average follow-up of 2.8 years (range 0.5-5 Yr.) Radiotherapy continues to be proposed as first choice therapeutic action for siminomas in located stages, although we do not disagree with other more conservative possibilities. In the non seminoma group, all three patients diagnosed in stage I were clinically controlled without supplementary therapy, two of them having a recurrence during the first year of follow-up, but currently free of the disease after chemotherapy and surgery of residual masses. Of the three non seminoma patients in stage II, with negative post-orchiectomy markers, two underwent lymphadenectomy and the other one only chemotherapy. In the remaining group of non seminoma patients, and always after an orchiectomy, chemotherapy was performed as first choice therapy, although rescue lymphadenectomy was required in eight cases. Chemotherapy schemes with cisplatin have relegated to a second level any other therapy for the non seminoma patients. The excellent response and reduction of side effects allow the adoption of more conservative attitudes. This paper explains our retrospective study and, following a wide review of exiting literature, discussed any conflictive prognostic and therapeutic items.

The paper presents the case of a patient with isolated testicular relapse (ITR), after a period of complete continuous remission (CCR) following chemotherapy, cobalt-therapy and bone marrow transplant (BMT) due to diagnosis of acute type T lymphoblastic leukemia L1. A review of literature regarding treatment of these patients is made.

This paper presents the case of a 19 year old patient with a well defined under palpation testicular tumor where surgical examination allowed a simple enucleation. Histological analysis during the operation reported it as a Leydig cells tumor but definitive analysis indicated tumor by adrenal residues. This histological argument illustrates the difficulty of making a differential diagnosis between both tumors, difficulty that goes beyond morphological and even clinical appreciation.