[Pure primary retroperitoneal seminoma in a woman. Apropos of a case]

The authors report a case of a stage IV retroperitoneal seminoma in a patient of 43 years of age diagnosed after histological examination of a biopsy specimen from the left sub clavicular lymph mode showed metastatic seminomatosis. After complete assessment including and abdominal and pelvic ultrasound, a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, an intravenous urogram, a lymphogram and serial estimations of tumour markers (alpha feta protein and beta HCG) a laparotomy was carried out. This made it possible to take a retroperitoneal biopsy as well as to carry out a total hysterectomy without conservation of the ovaries. From all this we concluded that we were dealing with a straightforward very large retroperitoneal seminoma. The treatment was continued with large doses of chemotherapy using Vinblastin, Cisplatin and Bleomycin (V.C.B.). She received 5 treatments of this and then had radiotherapy. The authors report this first case described in the literature (because they found no other in women) and what made them decide on the therapy.