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Completely mature pulmonary metastasis from testicular teratocarcinoma. Case report and review of literature
Author(s) -
Snyder Richard N.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(196910)24:4<810::aid-cncr2820240424>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - teratocarcinoma , pathology , medicine , teratoma , nodule (geology) , lymph node , anatomy , hamartoma , lung , metastasis , biology , cellular differentiation , cancer , paleontology , biochemistry , gene
A case of a young man with a primary embryonal and teratocarcinoma of the left testis, with periaortic and iliac lymph node metastases is presented. In addition to the usual primitive malignant features of this tumor, a tendency towards differentiation of the endodermal and mesodermal elements into adult structures was noted in both primary and metastatic lymph node deposits. Exclusively adult tissues derived from these germ layers were found in a solitary pulmonary nodule removed 3 years after orchiectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy, and 2 years after this pulmonary nodule appeared to have stopped enlarging. It was grossly and microscopically identical to a chondro‐adenomatous hamartoma of the lung except for the presence of mature striated skeletal muscle and stratified squamous epithelium. This phenomenon is consistent with Melicow's postulate which states that teratoma development is parallel to progressive and rapid maturation of the fertilized ovum. This case report is apparently unique in that the pulmonary lesion consists of fully mature quiescent tissue while both primary testicular tumor and the lymph node metastases exhibited highly malignant biologic behavior and histologic appearance.