Testicular Leukemia

ABSTRACT

Leukemic infiltration of the testes has been relatively rare disease. But increased survival due to advance in the treatment of childhood leukemia has been associated with an increase in incidence of leukemic infiltration of the tests. Six of 66 male children with acute lymphocytic leukemia and 2 of 2 male children with leukemic transformation on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, who have been admitted to our pediatric department during past 7.5 years period, from January, 1974 to June, 1981 developed testicular leukemia. This represents an incidence of 11.8% and the median age was 6.6 years(9 mo. to 14 yrs). All patients were symptom free despite testicular enlargement. Testicular enlargement was initial presenting manifestation in two patients. The enlargement was unilateral in 5 and bilateral in 3. Initial white blood cell count was greater than 100,000/mm3 in five patients and was less than 10,000/3 in other three. Microscopic findings on specimens were leukemic infiltration mainly in the interstitial spaces and atrophy of spermatogenic cells. Four patients developed testicular relapse during bone marrow remission. Hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy were present in 5 and 6, and these appeared to imply an increased risk of testicular relapse. The median duration from diagnosis to testicular relapse was 33.5 months(2 mo. to 93 mo.). Three patients developed subsequent relapses(CNS; 2, BM; 1) 1.5 to 26 months after the testicular relapse, the median interval being 14.5 months. Radiotherapy with chemotherapy has resulted clinical improvement, but only one patient showed long survival without relapse.