"Nonspecific" granulomatous orchitis

Three cases of granulomatous orchitis are presented; they were observed during a period of 30 years among 44 testicular tumors. The testis was always uniformly enlarged. The aspect of granulomatous inflammation predominated with nodules or large zones formed from histiocytes, epithelioid cells and more rarely giant, multinucleated cells, and surrounded or intersperced by lymphocytes, plasma cells, fibrocytes and collagen fibers. The epithelial testis component was more or less damaged. The differential diagnosis has to be performed with tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, syphilis, malignant lymphoma and malacoplasia; the clinical data are very important for diagnosis. The traumatic, ischemic, infectious, fungal and autoimmune nature of these lesions is discussed.