Paracolic recurrence: the importance of wide excision of the spermatic cord at retroperitoneal lymph node dissection

Four patients who underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection elsewhere and subsequently had radiographic evidence of expanding ipsilateral paracolic recurrence were referred to our institution for treatment. We evaluated ipsilateral spermatic cord metastatic involvement at retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and identified the possible etiology of these unusual recurrences.

Between January 1988 and February 1998, 34 of 685 patients who underwent a total of 702 retroperitoneal lymph node dissections had metastatic disease in the spermatic cord specimen. Variables examined in this group of patients included other disease sites, lymphovascular invasion in the primary tumor, histopathological findings of the primary tumor and retroperitoneal disease, clinical and pathological stage, disease side and the specific site of anatomical involvement of metastatic disease within the spermatic cord specimen, that is spermatic vessels and/or surrounding lymphatic tissue.

Of these 34 positive spermatic cord specimens 18 were in primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissections and 16 were in post-chemotherapy specimens. Histopathological evaluation in 25 (74%) and 9 (26%) of the 34 primary tumors showed a mixed germ cell pattern and pure embryonal carcinoma, respectively. Similarly 9 of the 34 retroperitoneal lymph node specimens (26%) showed pure embryonal cell carcinoma and the remainder showed mixed histopathological findings. Disease was clinical stage I in 13 cases (38%) and lymphovascular invasion was absent in the primary tumor in 11 (32%). Despite disease in the spermatic cord specimen there was none at the primary landing zone in 2 patients (6%), including 1 in whom the spermatic cord was the only disease site. In 12 positive spermatic cord specimens (35%) disease was identified in the surrounding perivascular and lymphatic tissue without gonadal vessel involvement.

Metastatic disease in the spermatic vessels and/or surrounding lymphatic tissue represents a possible site of recurrence when incompletely excised. The lack of lymphovascular invasion in the primary tumor does not preclude metastatic disease in the spermatic cord specimen. Complete and wide excision of the spermatic cord and surrounding lymphatic tissues at retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is necessary and may prevent paracolic recurrence.