Images in clinical urology. Floating balls appearance in testicular cystic teratoma.

ABSTRACT

Fourteen cases of a "floating balls" appearance on imaging studies in a mature ovarian cystic teratoma have been reported in published studies since 1991. Past investigators could not provide an explanation for the true mechanism of the formation of the balls. However, the floating balls occurred in rather large cysts. Because of self-examination, patients with testicular teratoma are usually referred to the hospital when the tumor is of a smaller size than that seen in patients with ovarian teratoma. We report the first case of a floating balls appearance in a testicular teratoma.