Pathoma: Testicular Tumors Flashcards
There are only two kinds of testicular tumors: ____________.
germ cell and sex cord
Like liver cancers, testicular cancers ________________.
are not biopsied due to risk of seeding; also, 95% of testicular masses are germ cell tumors so there’s a good chance it will be a germ cell tumor
All germ cell tumors are ____________.
malignant
What are risk factors for germ cell tumors?
Cryptorchidism and Klinefelter’s
What do seminomas look like?
Large cells with clear cytoplasm and central nuclei
What is the classic description of a seminoma?
Homogenous mass with no necrosis or hemorrhage (the fish flesh)
Chemotherapy can induce _____________ to become ______________.
embryonal carcinomas to become teratomas
Which testicular malignancy can form glands?
Embryonal carcinoma (the maze-like network is glandular tissue)
“You really want to consider ___________ on the top of your differential in a testicular mass in a young child.”
yolk sac tumor
The testicular tumor that causes elevated alpha-fetoprotein arises from what embryologic tissue?
The hypoblast (which gives rise to the yolk sac)
Patients with what type of testicular malignancy can present with hyperthyroidism?
Choriocarcinoma, because the beta subunit of hCG is identical to the beta subunit of TSH and can activate that receptor
What malignancy presents with malignant cells of vastly different sizes?
Choriocarcinoma, because there are trophoblasts which are small and syncytiotrophoblasts which are large
What’s the big distinction between teratomas in males and females?
In females teratomas are most often benign while in males teratomas are most often malignant.
What determines the prognosis of most germ cell tumors?
Recall that most germ cell tumors are mixed. The prognosis, then, is based on the worse phenotype. So i a tumor contains seminoma and choriocarcinoma, then the prognosis is that of choriocarcinoma.
Which testicular tumor is usually silent?
Sertoli cell tumor
