A Case of Burned-out Testicular Germ Cell Tumor Diagnosed Eleven Years Later

Burned-Out Testiküler Germ Hücre Tümörü

Abstract

Testicular tumors are a prevalent solid cancer among young men. The burned-out testicular seminoma phenomenon has been documented in several cases in the literature. Typically, these cases are diagnosed after metastasis, with both the metastatic lesions and the primary tumor exhibiting spontaneous regression. We present the case of a 39-year-old male patient who was previously diagnosed with a malignant teratoma in the left supraclavicular region 11 years ago. The patient was admitted to our clinic with inguinal pain, and further investigations revealed masses in the retroperitoneal and left testicular regions. Surgical resection confirmed these masses as spontaneously regressing teratomas and teratoma metastases. The patient did not receive systemic chemotherapy and remained asymptomatic during the follow-up period. This rare phenomenon, for which the underlying pathophysiology remains uncertain, is believed to be associated with the patient's immune response. Further studies are warranted to investigate and understand this unique phenomenon in greater detail.