Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: report of a case

Our plain-English summary of Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: report of a case, by S. Kanazawa, T. Nagae, T. Fujiwara, et al (Surgery Today, 1999).

The study

• Authors: S. Kanazawa, T. Nagae, T. Fujiwara, R. Fujiki, N. Mukai, Y. Sugihara, N. Yamaguchi, H. Ohtani, Y. Higami, T. Ikeda, T. Tsunoda
• Journal: Surgery Today
• Published: 1999;29(10):1106-10
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

We describe herein the case of a 68-year-old man with malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis. The pathological diagnosis was based upon the clinical findings, gross and microscopic morphology, and special stains. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare tumor associated with asbestos exposure that can be effectively treated with orchidectomy via an inguinal approach.

In plain English

This article was a case report from Japan about one 68-year-old man with malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, a membrane layer covering the testis. He had been regularly exposed to asbestos for 20 years while doing maintenance and modification work on a factory air-conditioning system. The article did not name a fiber type. In September 1985 he was admitted with a 10 cm mass in the right groin, which was first thought to be a hernia. It was removed, and a primary cancer elsewhere could not be found. Three years later he returned with a 12 cm mass in the left groin, and his left testicle was removed. The final diagnosis, after the first specimen was re-examined, was bilateral malignant mesothelioma of epithelial type, considered low-grade. No asbestos bodies were found in the tissue. The authors reported that he was well without recurrence 13 years after his operation. They concluded that these tumors may be treated effectively by orchidectomy (removal of the testis) through the inguinal (groin) approach.

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 (single patient)
• Who was studied: One 68-year-old man admitted to a hospital in Japan (Mitsugi Municipal General Hospital, Hiroshima) in September 1985
• Exposure: Regular asbestos exposure for 20 years during maintenance and modification work on a factory air-conditioning system. No fiber type was named.
• Main results:
  • At first admission the patient had a movable tumor, 10 cm in diameter, in the inguinal (groin) region, initially thought to be a right inguinal hernia.
  • After the first tumor was removed, it was initially thought to be metastatic adenocarcinoma, but no primary site was identified.
  • Three years later the patient returned with a left inguinal mass, 12 cm in diameter, and underwent a left orchidectomy.
  • Atypical mesothelial cells were found in fluid from the abdominal cavity taken during the second operation.
  • After re-examination of both specimens, the tumor was diagnosed as bilateral malignant mesothelioma of epithelial type, considered to be of low-grade malignancy.
  • No asbestos bodies were found in the tumor tissue, despite the patient's long asbestos exposure.
  • The patient was reported well, without evidence of recurrence, 13 years after his operation.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that this case shows these tumors may be treated effectively by orchidectomy through the inguinal approach.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors could not determine whether the second (left) tumor arose there on its own or spread from the right-side tumor through the peritoneum.
  • Cytology (cell examination) of the hydrocele fluid or ascites was not performed before surgery.

Topics

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

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

Related studies

• Epidemiology of mesothelioma of the pericardium and tunica vaginalis testis — G. Mezei, E.T. Chang, et al. (2017)
• Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: diagnostic studies and differential diagnosis — S.S. Chekol, C.C. Sun (2012)
• Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis — K.J. Butnor, E.N. Pavlisko, et al. (2019)
• Biphasic malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis — K.C. Saw, T.H. Barker, et al. (1994)
• Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: report of 2 cases with asbestos occupational exposure — G. Gorini, M. Pinelli, et al. (2005)
• Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis-A Malignancy Associated With Asbestos Exposure and Trauma: A Case Report and Literature Review — A.A. Baqui, N.A. Boire, et al. (2019)

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