Patterns of supradiaphragmatic metastases in testicular germ cell tumours

The imaging and clinical findings of 31 patients with supradiaphragmatic nodal metastases from primary testicular germ cell cancers were reviewed. In 11 patients the primary testicular tumor was a seminoma, and in 20 a non-seminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT). The patterns of spread of these tumour types were compared. All patients had chest radiographs (CXR): 27 had chest computed tomography (CT). One patient with seminoma and eight with NSGCT (40%) had lung metastases. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy was seen on CT in seven patients with seminoma (64%) and in nine patients with NSGCT (45%). Neck lymphadenopathy was present in 10 of 11 (91%) patients with seminoma, and 13 of 20 (65%) patients with NSGCT. Neck disease co-existed with mediastinal disease in six of 11 (55%) patients with seminoma, but in only two of 20 (10%) patients with NSGCT (P=0.012). This study gives further supporting evidence for the relative importance of haematogenous spread in teratoma, and lymphatic spread in seminoma. The contiguous nature of disease spread from abdomen to chest and neck in seminoma is confirmed. In NSGCT, supradiaphragmatic spread is more random but tends to occur in the paraoesophageal and subcarinal groups.