Scrotal recurrence of germ cell tumour in a non-violated scrotum

Abstract

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in males aged 15-30 years. For over a century, radical inguinal orchiectomy has been the standard of care for initial treatment of testicular cancer. This approach is preferred over trans-scrotal interventions, in an effort to avoid tumour seeding, spermatic cord invasion, and disturbance to lymphatic drainage. Scrotal violation is defined as any trans-scrotal intervention that may impact spread of disease in testicular cancer, including scrotal orchiectomy, fine-needle aspiration, and testicular biopsy. Studies have shown statistically significant differences in local recurrence rates between patients who undergo the standard inguinal surgical approach and cases with scrotal violation. Over 95% of testicular cancers are curative, often with surgery alone. Recurrence of disease is divided into two categories: Local and distant sites. Local recurrence of testicular cancer involves the scrotal and inguinal regions, including superficial inguinal lymph nodes. More commonly, local recurrence is seen in cases of testicular cancer with scrotal violation. We describe a case of local recurrence of testicular cancer in a non-violated scrotum, a finding that has not been previously reported in the literature.