5 – hormonally active tumors of the testes

Neoplasms of the testis.

There is a group of tumors of the testis in dog and man that cause feminization as a result of estrogen production. In this paper we shall demonstrate that these are neoplasms of the sustentacular cells of Sertoli which, in the dog at least, contain large amounts of estrogen. Feminizing testicular tumors.--The syndrome of testicular tumors in dogs producing estrogenic effects was described by Greulich and Burford (13). The dogs are sexually attractive to other males (13, 33, 34), the tun'mrs ,are often in cryptorchid testes (13, 19), the mammary glands are enlarged (13, 33), and generalized alopecia with increased pigmentation of the abdominal skin and swelling of the penile sheath are sometimes present. Squamous metaplasia of the epithelium of the prostate and posterior urethra is usual (11, 34). The tumors often present similar cytologic characteristics. In the cases of Greulich and Burford they consisted of tubular structures of microscopic size. Innes (19) classified the growths as tubular adenomas (Sertoli cell tumors), and stated that some were of a strictly tubular variety while in others the tumor cells had transgressed the confines of the tubule to form irregular lobular masses. Zuckerman and McKeown (34) classified these neoplasms as adenocarcinoma, and considered that \"essentially they represent a malignant development of all the cells of the seminiferous tubules, including the cells of Sertoli.\" The occurrence of tubular adenomas has been recognized, apart from the association with feminized males, for some time; thus Peyron (25) gave a histologic description of Sertoliform tumors of the testis in dogs more than 20 years ago. Pick (26) described yellow nodular formations of cylindrical neoplastic cells arranged in tubules in the ovary and in the cryptorchid testis of man, which he called adenoma tubulare ovarii testiculare; the cells were about 15t* in height and consisted of clear

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Estrogen Production by Sertoli Cell Tumors of the Testis

Testis tumors; report on 250 cases.

The interstitial cells of the testicle, which were first described by Leydig1in 1850, may rarely give rise to tumors, some of which are accompanied with endocrine changes. These cells have been regarded generally as the primary source of androgen. The study of such tumors is of interest, therefore, and may contribute to the knowledge of the normal endocrine physiology of the testis. This paper is concerned primarily with a review of the hormonal manifestations described in the previously reported cases of interstitial cell tumor and a report of 3 new cases, in which the patients were adults, one of whom had gynecomastia. In addition, we have elaborated certain criteria for the recognition of these tumors. LITERATURE Several comprehensive reviews of the literature of interstitial cell neoplasia have been published recently, notably by Jemerin,2Fialho3and Warren and Olshausen.4However, these writers and others have disagreed

5 – hormonally active tumors of the testes

References

Neoplasms of the testis.

Estrogen Production by Sertoli Cell Tumors of the Testis

Testis tumors; report on 250 cases.

Interstitial cell tumors of the testis: report of three new cases

Testicular teratomas in horses

Related Papers (5)

Tumors of the testes

Malignant tumors of the testes

Tumors of the testis.

Neoplasms of the testis.

Feminizing tumors of the testes