Interstitial-Cell Tumor of the Testis: Report of Two Cases

Two cases of interstitial-cell tumor of the testis with gynecomastia in adults are reported. In Case 1 a metastatic lesion developed in the area of the pedicle of the left kidney. Urinary 17-ketosteroid excretion increased to exceedingly high levels. Urinary estrogens were markedly increased whereas pituitary gonadotropins were undetectable at 6.6 mouse units. 17-Hydroxysteroids remained normal until four months prior to death. Hypertension developed about fifteen months prior to death, which occurred five years after removal of the original tumor and three years after the first evidence of intra-abdominal metastatic disease. Case 2 was operated on successfully and the patient is in apparent good health ten years after surgery. INTERSTITIAL-CELL tumors of the testis are relatively rare. They comprised only 1.2 per cent of Dixon and Moore's (1) series of 990 testicular tumors. Generally these tumors are benign. However, in a recent survey of the literature, Dalgaard and Hesselberg (2) tabulated over 90 cases of interstitial-cell tumor—a group in which the incidence of malignancy was approximately 10 per cent. Because of the rarity of these interstitial-cell tumors, we wish to report 2 cases, in one of which metastases developed. In reviewing 104 cases of testicular tumors treated at the Atlanta VA Hospital from 1935 to 1957, only 2 cases of interstitial-cell tumor were found—an incidence of less than 2 per cent.