Filarial granuloma of the testicular tunic mimicking a testicular neoplasm: a case report

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 321
• Main Authors: Barreto, Savio G, Rodrigues, Jude, Pinto, Roque G W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01.10.2008; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Diagnosis; Diethylcarbamazine; Dosage and administration; Patient outcomes; Risk factors; Testicular cancer; India
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-2-321

Any firm or solid intratesticular mass on examination and/or any hypoechoic area within the tunica albuginea on imaging is markedly suspicious for testicular cancer. Filarial involvement of the testicular tunic has not been reported previously. A 32-year-old man presented with a history of noticing a swelling in his right testicle for a period of 1 month which had become painful over the 10 days before presentation. Pre-operative imaging failed to shed light on the nature of the lesions (malignant or benign). The diagnostic dilemma was explained to the patient and informed consent was obtained for an orchiectomy. The patient underwent a high inguinal orchiectomy. The histopathology revealed a filarial granuloma of the testicular tunic. While it is generally regarded that any testicular swelling, especially in a young person, should be treated as a malignancy unless proven otherwise, it is important to remember that infectious diseases such as filariasis and tuberculosis may mimic neoplasms. Careful consideration of these diagnoses must be given when dealing with testicular swellings especially in areas where the prevalence of these diseases is high.