Interstitial cell tumor of the testis in a male: a clinical case

The aim of the study is to describe the clinical and morphological features of the manifestation, diagnosis, and postoperative histological verification of a feminizing tumor that developed from Leydig cells in the cryptorchid testis of a 3-year-old Labrador dog named Biscuit. During the clinical andrological examination of the male, symmetrical bilateral alopecia of the sides of the abdomen, hypertrophy of the milk packets and their nipples were noted. During the examination of the scrotum, one testis was not found, while examining the prepuce and penis, it was also noted that the penis was visually reduced in size, and the prepuce hangs from the abdominal wall. Ultrasound of the scrotum: the left testicle is not visualized, the right one is located in the scrotum, measuring 26 x 12 mm. Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis: liver, spleen, kidneys and bladder without pathological features. The left testicle is located in the abdominal cavity, enlarged, 31 x 27 mm in size, its structure is heterogeneous, diffuse hypoechoic formations without clear contours are visualized. The prostate gland is enlarged, oval, 74 x 51 mm in size, its structure is heterogeneous, multiple anechoic structures are visualized with an uneven contour up to 21 x 15 mm in size. Thus, according to the results of ultrasound, the dog was diagnosed with a neoplasm in the left cryptorchid testis and prostatic hypertrophy with multiple cysts. Intraoperative visual examination of the abdominal cavity confirmed the preoperative diagnosis. There were no technical difficulties during the resection of a cryptorchid testis affected by a tumor and a testicle localized in the scrotum. The postoperative period passed without complications. Approximately 2.5 months later. after resection of the tumor (total bilateral orchiepididymitectomy), the signs of sex inversion disappeared in the male and the coat was fully restored. The results of the pathohistological examination of the postoperative material showed that instead of the expected sertolioma, the pathognomonic signs of which are estrogenic alopecia and gynecomastia, the dog was diagnosed with leidigoma. The presented clinical case demonstrates that endocrine alopecia and gynecomastia are not only a classic manifestation of sertolioma, but in some cases, signs of sex inversion can also be associated with Leydig tumor.