
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Testicular cancer differential diagnosis
Introduction

Overview
Overview
Testicular cancer must be differentiated from epididymitis, hematocele, hydrocele, spermatocele, granulomatous orchitis, and varicocele.
Differentiating Testicular cancer from other Diseases
Differentiating Testicular cancer from other Diseases
Abbreviations:
AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein, B-hCG: Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, P-ALP: Placental– Alkaline phosphatase
| Diseases | Benign/ Malignant | Unilateral/Bilateral | History/demography | Metastasis | Genetics | Clinical manifestations | Para-clinical findings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | Physical examination | Lab findings | Imaging | Histopathology | |||||||||
| Pain | Mass | AFP | Beta hCG | p-ALP | |||||||||
| Germ Cell tumors | |||||||||||||
| Seminoma[1][2] |
|
|
Stains positively for: | – | + |
|
N/A | N/A | β | Ultrasound
|
| ||
| Embryonal carcinoma[3] |
|
Early metastasis to: | Stains positively for:
May stain positively forΒ : |
+ | Β± |
|
β* | β | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| ||
| Yolk sac tumor[4][5] |
|
|
|
Stains positively for: | + | + | β | N/A | N/A | Ultrasound
MRI
|
| ||
| Teratoma[6][7] |
|
|
|
Stains positively for: |
– | + | β | β | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| ||
| Choriocarcinoma[8][9] |
|
|
Early metastasis: | Stains positively for:
|
+ | Β± |
|
N/A | β | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| |
| Mixed germ cell tumors[10][11] |
|
|
|
|
Β± | + |
|
β | β | N/A |
|
| |
| Carcinoma in situ (intratubular germ cell neoplasia )[12][13][14] |
|
|
Common:
|
Stain positively for:
|
– | – |
|
N/A | N/A | β |
|
||
| Diseases | Benign/ Malignant | Unilateral/Bilateral | History/Demography | Metastasis | Genetics | Pain | Mass | Physical exam | AFP | Beta hCG | p-ALP | Imaging | Histopathology |
| Non-germ cell tumors | |||||||||||||
| Leydig cell tumor[15] |
|
|
|
Stains positively for:
|
– | + |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| |
| Sertoli cell tumor ( Androblastoma)[16][17][18] |
|
|
|
|
Stain positively for: | – | + |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | Ultrasound
|
|
| Testicular lymphoma[19][20][21] |
|
|
Common metastasis toΒ : | Stains positively for:
|
– | + | β or β | β or β | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| ||
| Granulosa cell tumors[22][23] |
|
Juvenile type associated with:
|
|
Stains positively for:
|
– | + | N/A | N/A | N/A | Ultrasound
|
| ||
* May stain positively when mixed.
References
References
- β Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A (2016). “Cancer statistics, 2016”. CA Cancer J Clin. 66 (1): 7β30. doi:10.3322/caac.21332. PMIDΒ 26742998.
- β Miller FH, Whitney WS, Fitzgerald SW, Miller EI (1999). “Seminomas complicating undescended intraabdominal testes in patients with prior negative findings from surgical exploration”. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 172 (2): 425β8. doi:10.2214/ajr.172.2.9930796. PMIDΒ 9930796.
- β Ishida M, Hasegawa M, Kanao K, Oyama M, Nakajima Y (2009). “Non-palpable testicular embryonal carcinoma diagnosed by ultrasound: a case report”. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 39 (2): 124β6. doi:10.1093/jjco/hyn141. PMIDΒ 19066212.
- β Howitt BE, Berney DM (2015). “Tumors of the Testis: Morphologic Features and Molecular Alterations”. Surg Pathol Clin. 8 (4): 687β716. doi:10.1016/j.path.2015.07.007. PMIDΒ 26612222.
- β Magers MJ, Kao CS, Cole CD, Rice KR, Foster RS, Einhorn LH; et al. (2014). ““Somatic-type” malignancies arising from testicular germ cell tumors: a clinicopathologic study of 124 cases with emphasis on glandular tumors supporting frequent yolk sac tumor origin”. Am J Surg Pathol. 38 (10): 1396β409. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000000262. PMIDΒ 24921638.
- β Simmonds PD, Lee AH, Theaker JM, Tung K, Smart CJ, Mead GM (1996). “Primary pure teratoma of the testis”. J Urol. 155 (3): 939β42. PMIDΒ 8583612.
- β Brosman SA (1979). “Testicular tumors in prepubertal children”. Urology. 13 (6): 581β8. PMIDΒ 377749.
- β Puri S, Sood S, Mohindroo S, Kaushal V (2015). “Cytomorphology of lung metastasis of pure choriocarcinoma of testis in a 58-year-old male”. J Cancer Res Ther. 11 (4): 1035. doi:10.4103/0973-1482.154010. PMIDΒ 26881635.
- β Wood HM, Elder JS (2009). “Cryptorchidism and testicular cancer: separating fact from fiction”. J Urol. 181 (2): 452β61. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2008.10.074. PMIDΒ 19084853.
- β Chuang KL, Liaw CC, Ueng SH, Liao SK, Pang ST, Chang YH; et al. (2010). “Mixed germ cell tumor metastatic to the skin: case report and literature review”. World J Surg Oncol. 8: 21. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-8-21. PMCΒ 2851696. PMIDΒ 20331874.
- β Krag Jacobsen G, Barlebo H, Olsen J, Schultz HP, Starklint H, SΓΈgaard H; et al. (1984). “Testicular germ cell tumours in Denmark 1976-1980. Pathology of 1058 consecutive cases”. Acta Radiol Oncol. 23 (4): 239β47. PMIDΒ 6093440.
- β Rajpert-De Meyts E, Skakkebaek NE (1994). “Expression of the c-kit protein product in carcinoma-in-situ and invasive testicular germ cell tumours”. Int J Androl. 17 (2): 85β92. PMIDΒ 7517917.
- β Jacobsen GK, NΓΈrgaard-Pedersen B (1984). “Placental alkaline phosphatase in testicular germ cell tumours and in carcinoma-in-situ of the testis. An immunohistochemical study”. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand A. 92 (5): 323β9. PMIDΒ 6209917.
- β Jacobsen GK, Henriksen OB, von der Maase H (1981). “Carcinoma in situ of testicular tissue adjacent to malignant germ-cell tumors: a study of 105 cases”. Cancer. 47 (11): 2660β2. PMIDΒ 7260858.
- β Cheville JC, Sebo TJ, Lager DJ, Bostwick DG, Farrow GM (1998). “Leydig cell tumor of the testis: a clinicopathologic, DNA content, and MIB-1 comparison of nonmetastasizing and metastasizing tumors”. Am J Surg Pathol. 22 (11): 1361β7. PMIDΒ 9808128.
- β Banerji JS, Odem-Davis K, Wolff EM, Nichols CR, Porter CR (2016). “Patterns of Care and Survival Outcomes for Malignant Sex Cord Stromal Testicular Cancer: Results from the National Cancer Data Base”. J Urol. 196 (4): 1117β22. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2016.03.143. PMIDΒ 27036305.
- β Young RH (2005). “Sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary and testis: their similarities and differences with consideration of selected problems”. Mod Pathol. 18 Suppl 2: S81β98. doi:10.1038/modpathol.3800311. PMIDΒ 15502809.
- β Gabrilove JL, Freiberg EK, Leiter E, Nicolis GL (1980). “Feminizing and non-feminizing Sertoli cell tumors”. J Urol. 124 (6): 757β67. PMIDΒ 7003168.
- β Shahab N, Doll DC (1999). “Testicular lymphoma”. Semin Oncol. 26 (3): 259β69. PMIDΒ 10375083.
- β Kim J, Abu-Yousef M (2013). “Testicular lymphoma”. Ultrasound Q. 29 (3): 247β8. doi:10.1097/RUQ.0b013e3182a0ac0e. PMIDΒ 23945480.
- β Vega F, Medeiros LJ, Abruzzo LV (2001). “Primary paratesticular lymphoma: a report of 2 cases and review of literature”. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 125 (3): 428β32. doi:10.1043/0003-9985(2001)125<0428:PPL>2.0.CO;2. PMIDΒ 11231498.
- β Garrett JE, Cartwright PC, Snow BW, Coffin CM (2000). “Cystic testicular lesions in the pediatric population”. J Urol. 163 (3): 928β36. PMIDΒ 10688023.
- β Ditonno P, Lucarelli G, Battaglia M, Mancini V, Palazzo S, Trabucco S; et al. (2007). “Testicular granulosa cell tumor of adult type: a new case and a review of the literature”. Urol Oncol. 25 (4): 322β5. doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2006.08.019. PMIDΒ 17628299.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shadan Mehraban, M.D.[2]
