Mitotane treatment in patients with metastatic testicular Leydig cell tumor associated with severe androgen excess

Mitotane (o,p'DDD) is established in the adjuvant and advanced-stage treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma and counteracts both tumor growth and tumor-related steroid production. Both the adrenal glands and the gonads are steroidogenically active organs and share a common embryogenic origin. Here, we describe the effects of mitotane in two patients with metastatic Leydig cell tumor (LCT) of the testes and associated severe androgen excess (serum testosterone 93 and 88 nmol/L, respectively; male reference range 7-27 nmol/L). Both men suffered from severe restlessness, insomnia and irritability, which they described as intolerable and disrupting normal life activities. Urinary steroid profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed excess androgen production and revealed concurrent overproduction of glucocorticoids and glucocorticoid precursors, which under physiological conditions are produced only by the adrenal glands but not by the gonads. In a palliative approach, they were commenced on mitotane, which achieved swift control of the hormone excess and the debilitating clinical symptoms, restoring normal quality of life. GC-MS demonstrated normalization of steroid production and decreased 5α-reductase activity, resulting in decreased androgen activation, and imaging demonstrated disease stabilization for 4-10 months. In conclusion, mitotane can be highly effective in controlling steroid excess in metastatic LCTs, with anti-tumor activity in some cases.

Mammary gland tumors in a male Cocker Spaniel

BACKGROUND

Mammary gland tumors are the most common tumors in sexually intact female dogs; however, they are rare in male dogs. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between sexual hormones and mammary gland tumors in a male dog.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 13-year-old, intact male Cocker Spaniel presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Kangwon National University, Republic of Korea, with an acute right ruptured caudal abdominal mass. Physical examination revealed a 14 × 14 cm ruptured mass in the right caudal abdomen, as well as a 1.5 × 1.5 cm mass in the first right mammary gland. The estrogen and progesterone concentrations in serum were within normal levels. Total mastectomy was done on the right side mammary glands. Following surgery, the site was fully recovered; however, a mass that had grown to 2 × 2 cm was found in the left fifth mammary gland and a testis tumor was also found over the period of 4 months. Mastectomy was performed on the left caudal mammary gland and castration was also performed. After the final surgery, the dog fully recovered. Histopathological examination of all three masses revealed high grade mammary adenocarcinoma in the mammary gland and the testis was diagnosed as Leydig cell adenoma. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the estrogen and progesterone receptors were expressed on limited cells in mammary and testis tumors.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that mammary tumors and testes tumors can occur in male dogs without relationship to female sexual hormone.

Metastasized Leydig cell tumor in a dog

We present the clinical findings, diagnosis and treatment of an 11-year old intact male Fox Terrier with a malignant Leydig cell tumor of the right testicle, which metastasized to the skeletal musculature of the left hind limb. The primary tumor and the metastasis were resected with narrow margins. The dog was treated with metronomic chemotherapy using thalidomid and dyclophosphamide. Local recurrence at the site of the metastasis and a pulmonary metastasis were present 30 months after surgery. The dog was euthanized.

Leydig cell tumor with lung metastasis diagnosed by lung biopsy

Leydig cell tumors are very rare and account for only 3% of testicular tumors and are generally benign. Only less than 0.2% of all testicular cancers were evidenced by metastatic spread. We report a 34-year-old man visited hospital because of coughing sputum mixed with blood. His chest CT showed bilateral patch clouding opacity. He was suspected with allergic alveolitis and treated with methylprednisolone. However, his symptoms and general condition deteriorated, and he visited our hospital. He had no abnormal findings on physical examination. A chest radiograph showed pneumonia in whole lung and CT showed multiple nodules and diffused ground glass opacities in both lung fields. Lung biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of Leydig cell tumor with lung metastasis. The diagnosis is based on the histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

Recurrent malignant Leydig cell tumor of testis: a case report with review of literature

Malignant Testicular Leydig Cell tumors (leydigomas) are extremely rare to occur and mostly carry a bad prognosis. Here we describe the disease course of a middle aged patient with recurrent / metastatic Leydig cell tumor of testes, who needed repeated oncosurgical intervention and chemotherapy.

Fine needle aspiration of metastatic malignant Leydig cell tumor of testis: a case report

A 53-year-old male presented with a right inguinal mass of one-year duration. The fine needle aspiration of the inguinal mass showed a highly cellular tumor composed of sheets and isolated, large round to polygonal cells with moderate pleomorphism. Many bare nuclei were seen with occasional intranuclear inclusions. A provisional diagnosis of metastasis probably of testicular tumour was made. The orchidectomy showed a brown tumor replacing the entire testis and infiltrating the epididymis. The histological features showed Leydig cell tumor without Reinke crystalloids.

Non islet cell tumor hypoglycaemia in a metastatic Leydig cell tumor

Non islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia (NICTH) is a rare cause of hypoglycaemia associated with malignancy and can be considered as a paraneoplastic syndrome. The hormonal factor associated with this condition is big IGF II, which exerts negative feedback effect and decreases the production of growth hormone and insulin. Due to low growth hormone levels, hepatic production of IGFBP 3 (the main binding protein of IGF II) is impaired. Excess free big IGF II is thus available for binding with insulin receptors to cause hypoglycaemia. Treatment options are either surgical removal of the tumour, administration of growth hormone, glucocorticoids or combination of treatments. A case of metastatic Leydig cell tumour causing NICTH has been discussed and the mechanism of NICTH hypoglycaemia and the treatment is outlined.

Lack of efficacy of imatinib in a patient with metastatic Leydig cell tumor

Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with activity in gastrointestinal stromal tumor and a variety of other solid and hematological malignancies. Studies in vitro and in a mouse model suggested that the imatinib might also be active in malignant Leydig cell tumor. We report on the--to our knowledge--first treatment experiment with imatinib in a patient with metastatic Leydig cell tumor. Unfortunately, the tumor progressed during treatment.

Metastatic Leydig cell tumor of the testicle in a young African American male

Malignant Leydig cell tumor (LCT) of the testis are extremely rare and account for less than 0.2% of all testicular cancers. Testicular tumors of all histological types rarely occur in African American men. The authors describe a rare case of an advanced stage malignant LCT arising from the testicle of an African American man at the young age of 35, who presented with hemoptysis and a productive cough. Clinical features and treatment of Leydig cell tumor of the testis are discussed.

[Bilateral Leydig cell tumor of the test: a case report]

Testicular Leydig cell tumours are uncommon. Bilateral synchronous lesions are exceptional. They cause isosexual pseudo precocious puberty in childhood. The histological diagnosis of malignancy is sometimes difficult to establish and it can be made retrospectively when lymph nodes involvement or visceral metastasis appear in the follow-up. We report a case of a 9 year-old boy presenting bilateral Leydig cell tumour of the testis treated by bilateral radical orchiectomy who developed 2 years after the intervention a pulmonary metastasis.

Malignant Leydig cell tumour of the testis

A case of malignant Leydig cell tumour is presented. It is a rare primary malignant tumour of the testis and occurs exclusively in adults. The present case is of interest because it occurred at the young age of 25 years which is rare. Histologically it showed almost all features which suggest malignancy and also had metastases to the lungs and liver. The clinical details and pathology of this tumour are discussed.

High frequency of metastatic Leydig cell testicular tumours

690 patients were treated for testicular tumour in the course of 18 years. The histology of 7 cases showed Leydig cell tumour. In 4 of the 7 cases, a metastatic process leading to death was observed. At the time of diagnosis, 5 patients were found to have low stage, whereas 2 of the patients had advanced lymphatic involvement. The hematogenous and lymphatic metastases proved to be resistant to chemotherapy. Contrary to the major part of the literature, retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy should be performed with this histological type for the exact pathological staging immediately following orchiectomy.

Cushing syndrome as the presenting feature of metastatic Leydig cell tumor of the testis

We report a patient with a history of orchiectomy for Leydig cell tumor of the testis who developed Cushing syndrome. This syndrome was due to ectopic production of cortisol and was the primary feature of tumor recurrence.

Metastatic Leydig cell tumor with sarcomatoid differentiation

Leydig cell tumors of the testis are uncommon. Only about 10% of cases have a malignant course. It has been stated that the only definite criterion for malignancy is presence of metastasis. We present a 47-year-old patient with metastatic Leydig cell tumor 17 years after initial diagnosis, to our knowledge the longest reported interval between diagnosis and the development of metastasis. The primary tumor did not exhibit convincing features of malignancy. The initial metastasis in the right perirenal fat tissue showed a biphasic tumor with sarcomatoid differentiation not described previously in a metastatic Leydig cell tumor.

[Malignant Leydig cell tumor. Report of a case and review of the literature]

OBJECTIVE

To report an additional case of malignant Leydig cell tumor of the testis. The clinical, hormonal and histological criteria for malignancy are analyzed and the different therapeutic options are discussed.

METHODS/RESULTS

A 75-year-old male presented with a painful testicular tumor, dyspnea and generalized syndrome. The chest film showed multiple bilateral metastatic pulmonary lesions. Pathological analysis disclosed malignant Leydig cell tumor. The patient died one month after orchidectomy due to the neoplasm.

CONCLUSIONS

Metastatic Leydig cell tumor is uncommon. To date, no available treatment can significantly alter the course of the disease.

Spinal cord compression from metastatic Leydig's cell tumor of the testis: case report

A case of spinal cord compression from metastatic Leydig's cell tumor of the testis is presented. This 67-year-old man exhibited paraparesis and neurogenic bladder dysfunction secondary to a spinal epidural mass at the T5 level as the initial manifestation of his cancer. Surgical resection was undertaken for tissue diagnosis and spinal cord decompression. The histopathological features of the epidural mass and the excised left testicle were identical, indicative of Leydig's cell carcinoma. The literature is reviewed for previous experience with this exceedingly rare tumor. Unlike most metastatic spinal malignancies, radiation therapy is an ineffectual treatment modality for this tumor. Surgical resection is the only therapeutic option available for amelioration of spinal cord compression.

Metachronous germ cell and Leydig cell tumors of the testis. Do testicular germ cell tumors and Leydig cell tumors share common etiologic factors?

BACKGROUND

Testicular germ cell neoplasms occur bilaterally in approximately 2-5% of patients. Bilateral testicular tumors of different histogenesis are extremely rare, and the study of such cases may offer clues to the pathogenesis of both tumor entities.

METHODS

A report of a case and review of the literature are presented.

RESULTS

A 33-year-old man had a right-sided testicular neoplasm consisting of teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, and yolk sac tumor. Retroperitoneal lymph node metastases were excised, and, subsequently, adjuvant abdominal radiation therapy was administered. The patient later received six cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy for pulmonary relapse. When he was 40 years of age, a contralateral Leydig cell tumor (LCT) was treated by testis-sparing excision. This is the first observation of testicular germ cell tumor (GCT) and contralateral LCT. Three cases of germ cell neoplasm and concurrent ipsilateral LCT have been reported previously.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of GCT and LCT in one patient is quite unusual because both entities are rare. Sharing of common etiologic factors by both entities is a possible explanation.

Malignant Leydig cell tumor of the testis in complete remission on o,p'-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethane

A 56-year-old patient is described who presented with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases 2 years after resection of a Leydig cell tumor of the left testis. The patient did not suffer from endocrinological imbalance. Surgical removal of the metastases alleviated abdominal symptoms for 1 year. o,p'-Dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethane (o,p'-DDD) treatment was started at the time of recurrence of the retroperitoneal mass and the appearance of a hepatic metastasis. Tumors were remarkably responsive to o,p'-DDD, since 2 complete remissions could be obtained for extended periods. The o,p'-DDD was tolerated reasonably well and serum levels of 15 to 20 mg./l. were sustained for many months. Unfortunately, the patient could not be cured with this effective treatment.

Treatment of malignant Leydig cell tumor

Malignant Leydig cell tumors (LCT) are rare. Only 32 cases of malignant LCT (as evidenced by metastatic spread) were reported. Generally metastatic spread occurs within 2 years of the primary LCT, and the patient dies within 2 years of the discovery of metastatic disease. The tumor is highly resistant to both radiation and chemotherapy. It also has a great propensity for recurring after surgical resection. A case is reported of a patient whose metastatic disease occurred 8 years after his primary LCT had been resected. He was treated with doxorubicin and mitotane without response. The clinical features of this case are highlighted, and a review of the literature describing treatment of this rare disease is presented.

[Late metastasis of an extragonadal Leydig cell tumor]

The case of a 36-year-old patient who underwent extirpation of a Leydig cell tumor of the epididymis is presented. Five years later a retroperitoneal mass was removed, which was found to be a metastatic Leydig cell carcinoma. The literature conrains reports of only 32 cases of metastatic Leydig cell tumors, all of which had originated in the testis and not extragonadally. The symptoms, treatment and prognosis are discussed with reference to the literature.

Hormone-secreting metastatic interstitial cell tumor of the testis

A patient is described with a hormone-secreting interstitial cell tumor, manifesting metastasis 7 years after removal of a reportedly benign primary tumor. The late course of the disease was followed by computerized tomography and serum hormone assays. Previously reported cases of metastatic interstitial cell tumor are reviewed, and prognostic features and treatment are discussed.

Virilizing malignant lipid cell tumor producing erythropoietin

Paraneoplastic erythrocytosis associated with production of erythropoietin and testosterone by a malignant lipid cell tumor is demonstrated in this case report. Several chemotherapeutic regimens failed to halt the progression of this aggressive metastatic lipid cell tumor. The scant literature on malignant lipid cell tumors is reviewed. Possible mechanisms for paraneoplastic erythrocytosis are presented. Adequate control of polycythemia preoperatively will reduce thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications.

Malignant Leydig-cell tumour of testis

A rare case of a malignant Leydig-cell tumour of the testis in a 26-year-old patient, with radical orchiectomy from an inguinal incision is described. Although the results of AFP, HCG, biochemical, X-ray, lymphographic and scintigraphic examinations were negative, the first metastases into the lungs appeared one year after the operation. Combined cytostatic treatment, polychemotherapy and X-ray therapy proved ineffective. The patient died of multiple metastases 28 months after the surgical intervention.

[The diagnostic and therapeutic value of second look operation in patients with testicular germinal cell tumors (author's transl)]

We report on 32 patients with testicular tumor who--after earlier retroperitoneal lymph node dissection--underwent a second-look operation. Whereas in 16 patients vital tumor tissue was found in the retroperitoneum 9 patients had only degenerative changes with fibrosis and necrosis. In 7 patients the retroperitoneum showed no evidence of disease. It is our conclusion that an extensive pre-operative diagnostic workup, including tumor-markers, ultrasound and CT in patients treated with chemo- and radiotherapy cannot determine whether viable tumor tissue is present in the retroperitoneum. In 13 patients with non-seminomatous germinal cell tumors where viable tumor tissue was found at second-look operation 61,5% had normal tumor-markers. Those patients in whom at second-look operation no viable tumor tissue was found benefit from that approach because of the possibility of terminating aggressive chemotherapy. On the other hand patients with vital tumor tissue had a poor prognosis.

Autonomous cortisol secretion by a metastatic Leydig cell carcinoma associated with Klinefelter's syndrome

We present the case of a 39-year-old man with Klinefelter's syndrome and a metastatic Leydig cell carcinoma in whom autonomous cortisol production induced by the interstitial cell tumor was found. Apart from the Cushing's syndrome the endocrine activity of the tumor was demonstrated by the secretion of estradiol, estrone, alkaline phosphatase, and testosterone. This is, to our knowledge, the first description of a Cushing's syndrome not caused via ACTH production but directly induced by ectopic steroid production. While being resistent to chemotherapy and radiation, the tumor responded favorably to treatment with o,p'-DDD. The reduction of tumor size was accompanied by a continuous decrease of serum markers. The etiology of the tumor is discussed in the light of the hormonal derangement caused by the genetic abnormality of Klinefelter's syndrome.