Interstitial-Cell Tumor of the Testicle

Few tumors of the gonads have been the seat of as much controversy as has the Leydig-cell tumor, or interstitial-cell tumor of the testis. Because of the relative rarity of this neoplasm nearly all reports in the literature deal with but one to three cases, and a general pattern of behavior has been established only by the arduous reviews by successive authors. Most investigators have been satisfied that the first description of this tumor was rendered by Sacchi,¹in 1895. The early cases were described in scant detail, as compared with information that accompanies each new case recently. While the known cases have been thoroughly summarized in the past, most notably by Nation and coworkers²and by Melicow and co-workers,³the relatively rapid influx of new cases in recent years makes it appear desirable to analyze the series anew, including the dozen odd cases reported since Melicow's