Unmasking the unexpected: Testicular tumour uncovered as a result of scrotal trauma

Abstract

We present a case of a 17-year-old male with a testicular tumour diagnosed after trauma. A 17-year-old male patient came to our clinic with swelling in the right hemiscrotum. The patient had a history of right scrotal blunt trauma 3 weeks before the admission and had no history of urological surgery or chronic disease. The patient doesn't use tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs. Genitourinary system examination revealed swelling and tenderness on palpation in the right hemiscrotum. The right testicle was not palpable. The left hemiscrotum was normal. The left testicle had a normal size and shape. Testicular tumour markers were high (AFP:196 μg/L (N: 0–8 μg/L), b-HCG: 916 mIU/mL (N: <10 mIU/mL), LDH: 364 U/L (N: 0–265 U/L). Scrotal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed that there were areas of 9 × 9 × 11 cm in size of the right scrotal region without viable testis tissue, hematoma area, and areas compatible with necrosis. These findings were related to intratesticular rupture due to trauma. Abdominal tomography revealed lymphadenopathies of approximately 6 × 3 cm in the anterior paracaval area and approximately 4 × 3 cm in the anterior aspect of the psoas muscle. We performed right radical inguinal orchiectomy on the patient. Testicular tumour markers were still high on the 8th postoperative day (AFP:120 μg/L (N: 0–8 μg/L), bHCG: 680 mIU/mL (N: <10 mIU/mL), LDH: 200 U/L (N: 0–265 U/L)). The testicular tumour was diagnosed as mixed germ cell tumour (50% Yolk Sac, 30% Embryonal Carcinoma, 20% Teratoma). The tumour diameter was 9 cm, surgical margins were intact, there was rete testis invasion, and no tumour was detected in the tunica vaginalis. No tumour invasion was seen in the soft tissue around the spermatic cord (pT2). The patient received 3 cycles of chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. We suggest that patients presenting with scrotal trauma should be carefully evaluated for testicular malignancy, and if malignancy is suspected, radical inguinal orchiectomy should be preferred for the operation.