Metachronous bilateral testicular cancer: Case reports and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: It is well recognised that men with unilateral testicular cancer may go on to develop metachronous cancer in the contralateral testis. Here, we present two cases of metachronous bilateral testicular cancer and a literature review. CLINICAL CASES: In both cases, the second testicular cancer occurred several years after the initial cancer, and both cases were not screened for presence of contralateral germ cell neoplasia in situ upon the first diagnosis. DISCUSSION: We also present a literature review on the need for screening biopsies of contralateral testis for germ cell neoplasia in situ and the risk factors which should encourage screening. Furthermore, we also explore the effect of chemotherapy on the incidence of contralateral testicular cancer and the effectiveness of radiotherapy in the treatment of germ cell neoplasia in situ. CONCLUSION: We believe that screening biopsies of the contralateral testis upon diagnosis of unilateral testicular cancer should be encouraged as it can lead to better management of the condition and a relatively favourable outcome on functional fronts.

Actinomycosis of the omentum with invasion of the abdominal wall, small bowel and transverse colon mimicking malignancy.

We report the case of a 59-year-old Russian man who presented with a painless, slow-growing, epigastric mass. CT revealed a large heterogeneous mass within the omentum infiltrating into adjacent tissues. During diagnostic laparoscopy, the omental mass was noted to be firm, raising the suspicion of malignancy. Surgical en-bloc resection of the mass, including the posterior rectus sheath, transverse colon and small bowel, was performed with primary anastomoses at laparotomy. Histological examination was inconsistent with malignancy and revealed the mass to be actinomycosis, confirmed by microscopy and gram staining. Surgical resection was followed by an 8-week course of penicillin and doxycycline antibiotic therapy. This treatment resulted in full clinical and radiological recovery with no complications. Although the clinical and radiological findings, in this case, were highly suspicious of malignancy, abdominal actinomycosis should be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with infiltrative abdominal masses and mild constitutional symptoms.

Intestinal spirochaetosis mimicking acute appendicitis with review of the literature.

Human intestinal spirochaetosis is a well-established micro-organism existing in the colon. It is less commonly seen in the appendix, and rarely presents as acute appendicitis. We present a case of a man presenting with symptoms consistent with acute appendicitis. The literature on spirochaetosis presenting as acute appendicitis is also reviewed.

Capecitabine-related liver lesions: sinusoidal dilatation mimicking liver metastasis.

A 30-year-old lady treated with capecitabine for primary colon adenocarcinoma developed liver lesions suspicious for metastasis. Liver biopsies showed sinusoidal dilatation thought to be secondary to capecitabine. This case highlights the importance of differentiating between benign and malignant liver lesions during cancer surveillance preventing unnecessary liver resections for benign disease.

Pneumatosis coli mimicking colorectal cancer.

Pneumatosis coli (PC) is a rare condition of the gastrointestinal tract involving extraluminal gas confined within the bowel wall. We report the case of a 40-year-old gentleman presenting clinically and endoscopically with suspected colorectal cancer. In light of the patient's red flag symptoms, and carpet of polyps seen endoscopically, surgical management by an anterior resection was performed with the patient making a successful recovery. Histological analysis of the resected specimen confirmed pneumatosis coli with no evidence of colonic neoplasia. Although PC can be an incidental finding in asymptomatic patients and considered a benign condition, it can also present as a life-threatening emergency with bowel necrosis and obstruction requiring emergency surgical intervention. Also, when PC mimics malignancy, surgical management is the most appropriate step to ensure that the diagnosis of cancer is not missed.

Bowel endometriosis.

Bowel obstruction accounts for 20% of hospital admissions due to acute abdominal pain. We report a case of acute bowel obstruction in a 31-year-old woman with a history of endometriosis diagnosed on laparoscopy a year before this presentation. Her clinical and biochemical picture suggested peritonitis and CT revealed an irregular soft tissue mass compressing a dilated rectosigmoid. Pockets of intraperitoneal gas were also documented and presumed to be secondary to bowel perforation at the level of the mass. Exploratory laparotomy was performed and the affected bowel was resected. Histology revealed extensive stricturing and fibrosis secondary to intestinal endometriosis. General practitioners, gastroenterologists and general surgeons are likely to encounter endometriosis, need to be competent in its diagnosis and management and collaborate promptly with the gynaecologist. Endometriosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of every woman of childbearing age who presents with any gastrointestinal or abdominal symptom.