2 İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Üroloji Kliniği, İZMİR
DOI : 10.5146/jcpath.2018.29 Aim: Testicular regression syndrome or "vanishing testes" is the condition which is thought to be due to the atrophy of the initially normal testes in fetal life. The presence of testicular structures is seen as the proof of testes in the beginning of fetal life. Testicular regression syndrome is seen in 3-5% of cases of cryptorchidism and almost all the cases in the literature are in neonatal period.
Case: A 40-year-old male presented with complaints of not being able to palpate his right testicle in the scrotum. No testes was seen in the performed ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the scrotum and inguinal canal. The tumor markers were negative. Surgical excision of the fibrotic appearing tissue was performed with an inguinal approach following a laparascopic examination. There was no testicular structure seen in macroscopical examination other than fibroconnective tissue. Microscopic examination revealed a lumen consistent with the testicular canal system with pseudostratified columnar epithelium in between the fibroconnective tissue.
Conclusion: In cases with testicular regression syndrome, the surgical excision of the remnant tissues is controversial, however the excision is generally suggested because sometimes there are seminiferous tubules or germ cells seen inside the remnant and these carry the risk of atypia and malignant transformation. This case was found worth presenting because it is the oldest "vanishing testes" case in the English literature.
Anahtar Kelimeler : Testicular regression syndrome, Testis, Germ cell tumor