An adolescent presenting with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the testis: a case report

Abstract

Introduction: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a very common subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma in middle and late adulthood. However, malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the testis is very rare in adolescents.

Case presentation: We report here the case of a 14-year-old Han Chinese boy, who presented with left scrotal mass lasting for 20 days along with distending pain for 5 days. A physical examination revealed a chicken egg-sized, firm, well-defined mass and unclear epididymis. A B-scan ultrasonography of the left scrotum displayed a 9.0×5.2×4.5cm medium- or low-echoic lobulated mass, which suggested a left testicular neoplasm. A fine needle aspiration cytology examination revealed that the cells obtained from the patient's testicular neoplasm were composed of myxoid spindle, and ovoid cells with nuclear atypia and mitotic activity, and arranged in a whirlpool or storiform pattern. Under histological examination, the tumor cells were arranged in a storiform pattern, which displayed mucoid matrix degeneration, and grew invasively. Consequently, a histopathological diagnosis suggested myxofibrosarcoma (or myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma).

Conclusions: An ultrasonic examination combined with fine needle aspiration cytology should be helpful for the initial differential diagnosis of testicular malignant fibrous histiocytoma. However, the final confirmation relies on histopathological examination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the testis in an adolescent.

Figure 1

Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed that the cells obtained from testicular neoplasm were myxoid spindle, short spindle or ovoid with nuclear atypia and mitotic activity (arrows) (hematoxylin and eosin, ×400).

Figure 2

Histopathology of testicular tumor showed spindle, round or ovoid cells arranged in a whirlpool pattern and the scattered multinucleated giant cells in the location of the lesion and the inflammatory cells in the mesenchyma (A) (hematoxylin and eosin, ×100).

Figure 3

Histopathology of testicular tumor showed spindle, round or ovoid cells arranged in storiform pattern. and the scattered multinucleated giant cells in the location of the lesion and the inflammatory cells in the mesenchyma (B) (hematoxylin and eosin, ×100).