Familial Double Testicular Tumors: Identical Chromosome Changes in Seminoma and Embryonal Carcinoma of the Same Testis

Abstract

An identical abnormal chromosome, i(12p), and a marker chromosome of unknown origin were seen in 2 tumors of different histology (seminoma and embryonal carcinoma) in the same testis. A younger brother of the patient also had undergone orchiectomy for 2 seminomas in the left testis 2 years previously. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible cellular background of testicular tumors and their genetic parameters.

Germ Cell Tumors of the Testicle or ‘Orchidomata’

“…In germ cell tumors of the testicle, a pure histological pattern is rarely seen [ 1 ]. Early on, it was recognized that testicular tumors had various and mixed histological structures, each of which carried a label which often var ied from decade to decade and changed from author to author.…”

“…We previously reported the case of a truly unique patient who presented three rare features, each of which is rarely seen alone [1]: (1) two separate, distinct and synchronous tumors found in a normal-sized testicle, a seminoma and an embryonal carcinoma; (2) the two tumors, although histologically different, had an identi cal abnormal chromosome, i(12p), and (3) 2 years pre viously, a younger sibling had a double seminoma (two distinctly separate seminomas) in one testicle ( fig. 1).…”

A Cytogenetic Classification of Germ Cell Tumors, and Its Biological Relevance

“…Only some acrocentric chro mosomes, in particular chromosomes 15 and 22, are sub stantially underrepresented in nonseminomatous GCTs, compared with seminoma [1], Further evidence is ob tained from cytogenetic studies of three combined tumors of the testis, in which the seminoma and the nonsemi noma component were karyotyped. It appears that both components had structural abnormalities in common [8][9][10],…”

Orchidoma in the Elderly

“…In 1991, I was surprised to observe a case of "orchidoma" in the elderly. [In 1988, I had suggested the inclusion of all the different histological varieties of germ cell tumors of the testicle under one term: "orchidoma" [1][2][3]. By "elderly" I mean males 60 years old or older].…”