Seminoma arising in cryptorchid testes in Nigerian males

Histological slides of seventy four patients with testicular malignancy found in the records of the cancer registry, University College Hospital, Ibadan over a thirty-five year period (1960-1994) were reviewed. Three (4%) cases occurred in undescended testes. Overall, eighteen (24.3%) patients were found to have seminomas. All the tumours seen in undescended testes (100%) were seminomas while about seventeen percent of seminomas were seen in undescended testes. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean ages of those with seminomas (37.6 years) and those with non-seminomatous testicular cancers (30.3 years); t = 1.69; p < 0.05. The numbers seen corroborate the fact that testicular cancers are not very common in this environment. The incidence of undescended testes is not established in this environment either. However, it seems that 100% of tumours arising in undescended testes are seminomas. It is recommended that abdominal testes seen after puberty should be removed and older patients presenting with abdominal masses should have a differential diagnosis of testicular cancer entertained.