IVC tumoural thrombosis: an unusual complication of testicular tumour.

Goel S, et al. BMJ Case Rep 2017. doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-220677 Description A 30-year-old man presented with right scrotal mass and bilateral leg oedema for the last 3 months. CT scan showed a heterogeneously enhancing lesion in the right testis with retroperitoneal and mediastinal lymph node (LN) mass with enhancing tumorous thrombus filling the common iliac veins and inferior vena cava (IVC) up to the infrahepatic region with pulmonary metastases (figure 1). The preoperative tumour markers including lactate dehydrogenase, alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin were 2270 U/L, 28 214 ng/mL and 6253 mIU/mL, respectively. High inguinal orchidectomy was carried out which revealed mixed germ cell tumour (GCT) (pT3N3M1aS3, poor risk as per International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group). Chemotherapy including four cycles of VIP (etoposide, ifosfamide and cisplatin) with anticoagulation was started in the immediate postoperative period. Standard BEP (bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin) ×four regimen could not be given because of poor pulmonary function. Postchemotherapy CT scan after 4 weeks revealed complete resolution of IVC thrombus with small residual retroperitoneal and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (figure 2). The tumour markers also normalised. The patient was kept under follow-up for residual mass as he refused postchemotherapy surgical resection. GCT has propensity for lymphatic and haematogenous spread, but IVC tumour thrombosis is rare. Hassan et al described few cases of GCT with IVC thrombosis and stressed that high index of suspicion is needed in right-sided testicular tumours associated with retroperitoneal LN masses >5 cm. IVC thrombosis in our case completely regressed after chemotherapy, although Dusaud et al described rare regression of IVC thrombosis with chemotherapy alone, with patients ultimately requiring thrombectomy.