Reaction: bilateral spermatocytic seminoma: an update on \"synchronous\" and \"sequential\" presentation of this rare variant of testicular tumour

Abstract

We read with interest the report of Koppad and colleagues in the Pan African Medical Journal describing a case of bilateral synchronous presentation of spermatocytic seminoma in an elderly Indian male. While we appreciate their efforts in documenting this rare presentation, we disagree with the reported figures as outlined in the report and wish to draw attention of the authors as well as the readers of the journal to the gross inaccuracies in the reported statistics. We present our data, following a comprehensive literature review, to unveil the magnitude of bilateral presentation (synchronous and sequential) of this unique variant of testicular tumor as reported in medical literature to facilitate dissemination of precise information on the topic.

Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

“…ST is not associated with GCNIS, cryptorchidism, or gonadal dysgenesis and is not observed in association with other GCT. Bilaterality is rare with less than ten cases reported in the literature [187] and may be synchronous or sequential in occurrence. Serum markers are not characteristically elevated in ST.…”

Invalid presentation of bilateral synchronous presentation of spermatocytic seminoma

“…We read with great interest the paper by Yadav and Gupta on bilateral synchronous spermatocytic seminoma (SS) in the recent issue of the Pan African Medical Journal [ 1 ]. While we commend the authors for their efforts in reporting a rare variant of SS in a 42-year old Indian male, we are of great concern that the authors diagnose it as a bilateral synchronous SS despite the radiographic imaging and intra/post-operative histopathological findings being inadequate and inconsistent with the literature [ 2 , 3 ]. As Kalakoti and colleagues illustrated in earlier report [ 2 ], only 10 cases of SS with bilateral presentation were reported in the medical literature as of mid-February 2014; of them, synchronous presentation of bilateral SS has been ascertained with authority in only five patients using radiographic and/or intra/post-operative histopathological findings [ 2 ].…”

“…While we commend the authors for their efforts in reporting a rare variant of SS in a 42-year old Indian male, we are of great concern that the authors diagnose it as a bilateral synchronous SS despite the radiographic imaging and intra/post-operative histopathological findings being inadequate and inconsistent with the literature [ 2 , 3 ]. As Kalakoti and colleagues illustrated in earlier report [ 2 ], only 10 cases of SS with bilateral presentation were reported in the medical literature as of mid-February 2014; of them, synchronous presentation of bilateral SS has been ascertained with authority in only five patients using radiographic and/or intra/post-operative histopathological findings [ 2 ]. The first case of bilateral synchronous presentation of SS from the Asian subcontinent was reported by Maruta and colleagues [ 4 ] in 2011 in a 56-year old Japanese male, almost seven decades since Masson first reported it in 1946 [ 5 ].…”

“…The first case of bilateral synchronous presentation of SS from the Asian subcontinent was reported by Maruta and colleagues [ 4 ] in 2011 in a 56-year old Japanese male, almost seven decades since Masson first reported it in 1946 [ 5 ]. From the Indian mainland, Koppad and colleagues [ 2 ] documented the first such case in a 50-year old male in the year 2012.…”