Kulkarni Shashank, Coup Andrew, Kershaw John B, Buchholz Noor P N
Dept. of Urology, United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Lincoln/UK.
BMC Urol. 2004 Mar 4;4:1. doi: 10.1186/1471-2490-4-1.
Whereas testicular metastases are in themselves a rare entity, testicular secondaries from an appendiceal carcinoma have not yet been described. The case also illustrates the diagnostic dilemma of a tumour presenting as epididymo-orchitis.
The authors present a case of an appendiceal carcinoma that, two years after radical therapy, manifested as a secondary in the testis. It was misdiagnosed as an epididymo-orchitis and was only revealed through histology.
Practitioners need to remember that long-standing testicular inflammation may result form secondary tumours. Even "exotic" primary tumours in the medical history of the patient must give rise to an increased suspicion threshold.