Frozen section analysis of unusual small testicular tumor masses: report of 3 cases.

PURPOSE: Nonpalpable tumors of the testis are generally incidental findings on ultrasound examination. Most of these tumors are benign but some turn out to be germinal tumors at histology. Therefore, intraoperative histopathologic analysis of nonpalpable testicular lesions is pivotal for guiding a testis-sparing surgical approach.

METHODS: We report clinical and pathologic characteristics of 3 small nodules of the testis with challenging histologic features at intraoperative frozen section examination and peculiar histology. One was a known testicular mass, undertreated for 5 years, whose enlargement worried the patient, while the other 2 were incidental findings during clinical testicular examination for non-neoplastic diseases.

CONCLUSIONS: The 3 cases reported are characterized by small size, which limited the accuracy of preoperative ultrasound diagnosis. Intraoperative frozen section examination was able to rule out a diagnosis of germ cell malignancy in all cases, but diagnosis was conclusive only at histology. Knowledge of unexpected rare testicular lesions is of great relevance at the time of frozen section examination in view of conservative surgical strategy.