Spermatocytic seminoma: a 21 years' retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Spermatocytic seminoma is a rare testicular germ cell tumor of old men. Accounting for 1-4% of all seminomas, spermatocytic seminomas have distinct pathogenesis, histological features, immunohistochemical profile and comparatively benign clinical behavior which distinguishes them from other germ cell tumors, especially classic seminoma.

The purposes of our study were to assess the patient demographics, pathological features and to evaluate the utility of CD 117 immunostain along with other immunohistochemical stains in distinguishing Spermatocytic seminomas from classic seminomas.

All spermatocytic seminomas patients diagnosed during 1992 to 2013 at Section of Histopathology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University hospital were included. Patient characteristics, histological details and follow-up data of few patients were available. CD 117 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Total 16 cases of Spermatocytic seminomas were reviewed. Median age was 60 years and average tumor size was 10.4 cms. Microscopically, all of the 16 cases showed presence of edema and absence of lymphocytic infiltrate and intratubular germ cell neoplasia. Cytoplasmic glycogen was negative in all 13 cases, PLAP immunostain was negative in all 12 cases, while CD 117 was positive in all 8 cases, where applied.

CD 117 is of limited utility in differentiating the spermatocytic seminoma from classic seminoma as it is expressed in significant number of spermatocytic seminomas. However, different histological features, PAS special stain and PLAP immunostain are significantly helpful in distinguishing these two entities.