[A case of metastatic tumor of spermatic cord with hydrocele from gastric cancer]

Abstract

A 70-year-old man, who had undergone total gastrectomy for Borrmann III gastric cancer one year previously, was referred to us with a complaint of left scrotal swelling. Physical examination showed left scrotal hydrocele and a hard nodule in the ipsilateral inguinal area. Excretory pyelography and abdominal computed tomography showed mild left hydronephrosis and no stone. A left orchiectomy was performed. The mass in the spermatic cord was 2.5 x 1.0 x 1.0 cm in size, and the pathological diagnosis was tubular adenocarcinoma, identical to that of the previous gastric cancer. Five months after orchiectomy, the patient underwent percutaneous nephrostomy to manage postrenal renal failure caused by massive metastasis of retroperitoneal lymph nodes. He died one month later. We found a total of 84 cases of metastatic tumors of the spermatic cord reported in Japan, approximately half of which were metastases from gastric cancer. In 10 cases, including ours, the tumor was accompanied by hydrocele of the scrotum or spermatic cord. Although this association is rare, cancerous lesions should be considered in the management of hydrocele.