Spermatic cord tumors — review of the literature

Abstract

In this article, we discuss benign and malignant spermatic cord tumors. We attempted to compile this rare group of diseases by reviewing the international literature. Tumors of the spermatic cord are found very rarely. However, it is important to be aware of their occurrence, as they can cause a protrusion in the inguinal area. They are usually misdiagnosed as an inguinal hernia. The most common tumors in this area are benign — usually they are lipomas. In 20–70% of cases, adipose tumors accompany an inguinal hernia. Therefore, they should be kept in mind whenever a patient presents with symptoms of herniation in the inguinal region. Tumors of the spermatic cord may also involve the scrotum and manifest themselves as testicular hydrocele. Such a tumor is, for example, aggressive angiomyxoma. It is a locally malignant tumor that tends to infiltrate and compress the surrounding tissues but does not tend to give metastasis, therefore according to the WHO classification it is a benign tumor. However, malignant tumors such as rhabdomyosarcoma, which is the most common malignant neoplasm of testicular appendages, can also be located in the spermatic cord. The second most common soft tissue sarcoma is leiomyosarcoma, with poor initial prognosis, or metastases of malignant tumors from other organs, e.g. renal adenocarcinoma. As the prognosis for malignant tumors of the spermatic cord is generally dependent on the stage at the time of diagnosis, oncological vigilance and early diagnosis allow for faster detection of these tumors, which may improve the prognosis of patients with tumors in this location.