Extremely rare tumour--malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis

Our plain-English summary of Extremely rare tumour--malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis, by T. Jankovichova, M. Jankovich, D. Ondrus, et al (Bratislavské Lekárske Listy, 2015).

The study

• Authors: T. Jankovichova, M. Jankovich, D. Ondrus, K. Kajo, J. Dubravicky, J. Breza
• Journal: Bratislavské Lekárske Listy
• Published: 2015;116(9):574-6
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 5 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Introduction: Malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis is an extremely rare tumour. It is often caused by exposition to asbestos, however, more often its occurrence is sporadic. The diagnosis is usually set secondarily during hydrocele surgery. This type of tumour should be considered in cases with with atypical hydrocele, especially haematocele or atypical shape of seminal covering.

Results: A case of an asbestos-exposed patient with described disease and long-term hydrocele is presented. The number of patients is so small that the guidelines are limited due to low statistical power (Fig. 2, Ref. 14).

In plain English

This short communication from Bratislava, Slovakia, was a case report about one patient with malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis, the lining around the testicle. A 67-year-old man was admitted for routine surgery on a left hydrocele (fluid around the testicle). It had returned after an operation three years earlier and after an unsuccessful puncture. During surgery the fluid was bloody, so the testicle was removed (radical inguinal orchiectomy). Tissue examination showed an epithelioid malignant mesothelioma, and the testicle itself had no pathologic findings. His job as a lorry driver had not brought him into contact with asbestos. However, for decades he had lived in a house roofed with eternit, a fibre cement used for asbestos-containing roofing. No fiber type was named. Fourteen months later the tumour came back locally and was removed with a negative surgical margin. When the report was written he had no evidence of disease 20 months after that operation, with overall survival of 44 months. The authors suggested that, because he also had a long-term hydrocele, the case shows a possible role of combined risk factors.

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 (short communication)
• Who was studied: One 67-year-old male patient treated at the Department of Urology, University Hospital Bratislava, Slovakia. Dates of treatment were not given.
• Exposure: Non-occupational. The patient was not in contact with asbestos in his job as a lorry driver handling construction materials. For decades he lived in a house roofed with eternit, described as a fibre cement used for asbestos-containing roofing material. No fiber type was named. He also had a long-term hydrocele.
• Main results:
  • The patient's left hydrocele had recurred after a hydrocele operation three years earlier in another hospital.
  • During surgery, puncture of the hydrocele showed bloody content, and a radical inguinal orchiectomy was performed.
  • The tumour was epithelioid, with solid-striated, partially tubular or cystopapillary proliferation. The testicle was without pathologic findings and the spermatic cord was not affected.
  • Immunohistochemistry showed expression of vimentin, EMA and calretinin, and absence of CD 30, CD 20 and CEA.
  • Computed tomography after surgery showed no positive lymph nodes or metastatic spread.
  • Fourteen months after orchiectomy, a local recurrence of about 5 cm developed. It was resected with a negative surgical margin.
  • Post-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy were not indicated. At 20 months after resection of the recurrence the patient had no evidence of disease, with overall survival of 44 months after primary treatment.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors stated that, because the patient also had a long-term hydrocele, the case shows a possible role of combined risk factors in the development of the disease.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors noted that so few patients with this tumour exist that guidelines are limited by low statistical power.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

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

Related studies

• Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: a rare case and review of literature — M. Drevinskaite, A. Patasius, et al. (2020)
• Malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis: Report of a very rare case with review of the literature — E. Trenti, S.M. Palermo, et al. (2018)
• Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: a rare malignancy mimicking more common inguino-scrotal masses — P.J. Schure, K.C. van Dalen, et al. (2006)
• Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: report of first case with preoperative diagnosis — L. Japko, A.A. Horta, et al. (1982)
• Papillary serous carcinoma of the tunica vaginalis testis — P. Becerra, M.A. Isaac, et al. (2000)
• Pre-operative diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis by hydrocele fluid cytology — S.C. Gupta, A.K. Gupta, et al. (1998)

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