Diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration

✍ Scribed by Costanza Bruno; Salvatore Minniti; Carlo Procacci

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 69 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.10045

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis is a very rare tumor that is not usually diagnosed until surgery is undertaken. In only a few cases has the correct diagnosis been obtained preoperatively by cytologic examination of fluid from the hydrocele. We describe a case of mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis that was suspected on sonography because of the presence of a hydrocele and focal nodularities. The diagnosis was confirmed preoperatively by ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration cytology aimed at 1 of the focal nodularities. Our patient was an 85‐year‐old man with concomitant cancer of the sigmoid colon; because of his age and the spread of his colon cancer, we did not remove the scrotal lesion. We recommend consideration of ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration cytology of the solid masses instead of the fluid from the hydrocele in cases of suspected malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 30:181–183, 2002; DOI 10.1002/jcu.10045