["Burned out" testicular tumor: a rare form of germ cell neoplasias]

Burned-out tumour of the testis is a rare form of a germ-cell malignancy of testicular localisation which can regress or disappear. This is a rare form of germ-cell neoplasm. We report on 2 patients with such a tumour. The histological findings, on clinical manifestations, on difficult differential diagnosis from primary retroperitoneal germ-cell tumour, therapy, and outcome of this malignancy are discussed. In the absence of palpable testicular tumour the symptomatology is due to metastasis. Burned-out tumour of the testis must be considered in a patient with retroperitoneal lymph node involvement and histology of "germ-cell tumour". In these patients sonography of scrotal contents may be useful to identify intratesticular abnormalities. These are often the site of the primary tumour. If burned-out tumour of the testis is suspected, the indication for surgery is given. If the frozen section is not "normal testicular tissue", orchiectomy should be performed. The metastasis is treated according to the histology and clinical stage of the tumour. It is important to distinguish burned-out tumour of the testis from true extragonadal germ-cell tumours. Primary removal of the testicular tumour is necessary because of the high rate of persistent testicular malignancy, which may be as much as 50% despite systemic chemotherapy.