“ Burned - Out ” Testicular Tumor : An Imaging Enigma

Abstract

Most testicular tumors present as palpable scrotal lumps that progressively increase in size. Strangely some of these tumors regress spontaneously after they metastasize to the retroperitoneum and thus have been referred to as 'vanishing tumors' or 'burned-out' tumors. These 'burned-out' tumors are seen as focal testicular abnormalities with varied morphological patterns on sonography. About half of these so called 'burned-out' tumors still harbor malignant cells. It is therefore extremely important to identify these occult lesions as they have a significant bearing on patient management. Such a rare case is being presented here with a description of its varied imaging features.