Testicular papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma: a rare case report and review of the literature

Our plain-English summary of Testicular papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma: a rare case report and review of the literature, by B. Geramizadeh, M.R. Farzaneh, S. Pakbaz, et al (Rare Tumors, 2011).

The study

• Authors: B. Geramizadeh, M.R. Farzaneh, S. Pakbaz, S. Zeighami
• Journal: Rare Tumors
• Published: 2011;3(4):e44
• Cited by: 12 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary is a common tumor but occurrence of ovarian type papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma in the testis is very rare. Herein we report such a case in a 49-year-old man presenting with testicular swelling. In this tumor, mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis should be excluded by immunohistochemistry. The best treatment is radial orchiectomy and it is very resistant to chemoradiation. Our case was well after orchiectomy and now after a year he is doing well and completely symptom free.

In plain English

This article was a case report from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, with a short discussion of earlier published cases. It described a 49-year-old man who had swelling of his left testis for several months. Blood tests, including the tumor markers CEA, PSA and CA 125, were normal. Ultrasound showed a 9 cm mass, and the testis was surgically removed. The tumor measured 9 by 7 by 6 cm. Under the microscope it looked identical to a type of ovarian cancer called papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, the lining around the testis, can look similar, so the authors ran immunohistochemistry stains. The tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin, cytokeratin 7 and EMA, and negative for CK20, inhibin, calretinin and PLAP. The authors wrote that these results, and the tumor's location inside the testis, were against mesothelioma. A year after surgery the man was symptom-free. The authors concluded that this tumor is extremely rare in men but should be considered in malignant testicular tumors with epithelial features. The article did not mention asbestos or any other exposure.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Case report of one patient, with a brief discussion of previously published cases
• Who was studied: One 49-year-old man with left testicular swelling, treated at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran (dates not given)
• Exposure: Not an exposure study. No asbestos or other exposure is reported. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis appears only as the diagnosis the authors ruled out.
• Main results:
  • In the patient, laboratory tests including the tumor markers CEA, PSA and CA 125 were normal
  • The removed testicular mass measured 9X7X6 cm, with an intact capsule
  • Under the microscope, the tumor's features were typically identical to ovarian papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma
  • Tumor cells were reactive for cytokeratin (CK), cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and nonreactive for CK20, inhibin, calretinin and placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP)
  • The authors stated that the tumor's location inside the testis and the staining results were against a diagnosis of mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis
  • The patient was doing well and completely symptom-free about a year after orchiectomy
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that serous cystadenocarcinoma is extremely rare in the male genital tract but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any malignant testicular tumor with epithelial features

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Tunica Vaginalis, Immunohistochemistry, Orchiectomy.

Related studies

• Mesothelioma of the pelvic peritoneum resembling papillary cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary; case report — M. Swerdlow (1959)
• Colon cancers and peritoneal mesothelioma occurring 29 years after abdominal radiation for testicular seminoma. A case report and review of the literature — D. Tassile, A.D. Roth, et al. (1998)
• Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma versus serous papillary adenocarcinoma. A histochemical and immunohistochemical comparison — D.J. Bollinger, M.R. Wick, et al. (1989)
• Value of mesothelial and epithelial antibodies in distinguishing diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma in females from serous papillary carcinoma of the ovary and peritoneum — R.L. Attanoos, R. Webb, et al. (2002)
• Primary papillary serous neoplasia of the peritoneum: a clinicopathologic and ultrastructural study of eight cases — U. Raju, G. Fine, et al. (1989)
• Papillary serous carcinoma of the tunica vaginalis testis — P. Becerra, M.A. Isaac, et al. (2000)

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