Germ Cell Tumor With Somatic-Type Malignancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

A malignant germ cell tumor (GCT) might contain or transform into malignant non-germ cell histology, commonly referred to as somatic-type malignancy (SM). It is a rare phenomenon with poorly understood pathogenesis. SMs are mostly associated with teratomas and are mainly observed in late relapsing cases. There are no consensus guidelines on the management of SMs; however, surgery is considered to be the mainstay of treatment. Prognosis is variable depending on the time of diagnosis, site of relapse, and type of histology. Here, we present a case of a 44-year-old male with a history of mixed GCT stage IIA, initially managed with right radical orchiectomy, who developed a relapse of GCT 10 years later with an SM of adenocarcinoma subtype.

Keywords: adenocarcinoma; malignant transformation; non-seminoma germ cell tumor; retroperitoneal mass; somatic-type malignancy.

Figure 1. Computed tomography of the abdomen showing an enlarged retroperitoneal lymph node.

Figure 2. Positron emission tomography scan showing an enlarged retroperitoneal lymph node with maximum standard uptake value of 3.