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testicular carcinoid tumor
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors and most frequently occur within tissues derived from the embryonic gut. These tumors can occur in any organ site but are rare in the testis. The cell type giving rise to testicular carcinoid is unknown.
Testicular carcinoid tumors are rare with only limited studies. Most primary carcinoid tumors of the testis have a benign clinical course even if associated with epidermoid/dermoid cysts, or histologically mature teratoma. (20351489)
However, lesions with the morphology of atypical carcinoid can occasionally exhibit metastatic spread. (20351489)
Isochromosome 12p identified in carcinoid tumor cells suggest that testicular carcinoid represents a phenotypic expression of testicular teratoma and is of germ cell origin. (18316560)
Immunochemistry
Carcinoid tumors showed strong immunoreactivity for synaptophysin and chromogranin, but no immunoreactivity for OCT4, CD30, c-kit (KIT or CD117), TTF-1 (TTF1), and CDX2.
Membranous and cytoplasmic staining for beta-catenin was detected in 3/4.
Cytogenetics
isochromosome 12p - i(12p)
- Isochromosome 12p was identified in 4/4 carcinoid tumor cells.
- 12p overrepresentation was also observed in 3/4 cases.
- Isochromosome 12p and 12p overrepresentation are present in cells of coexisting mature teratoma in 3/4cases.
References
Primary carcinoid tumors of the testis: a clinicopathologic study of 29 cases. Wang WP, Guo C, Berney DM, Ubright TM, Hansel DE, Shen R, Ali T, Epstein JI. Am J Surg Pathol. 2010 Apr;34(4):519-24. PMID: 20351489
Germ cell origin of testicular carcinoid tumors. Abbosh PH, Zhang S, Maclennan GT, Montironi R, Lopez-Beltran A, Rank JP, Baldridge LA, Cheng L. Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Mar 1;14(5):1393-6. PMID: 18316560 (Free)
Primary carcinoid tumor of the testis: Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and FISH analysis with review of the literature. Kato N, Motoyama T, Kameda N, Hiruta N, Emura I, Hasegawa G, Murata T, Kimura M, Tsuda H, Ishihara T. Pathol Int. 2003 Oct;53(10):680-5. PMID: 14516318
