RADICAL ORCHIECTOMY AND BENIGN TESTICULAR CONDITIONS

The records of 149 patients who underwent testicular exploration for s uspected malignancy were reviewed retrospectively. Malignancy was conf irmed in 102 patients but benign pathology was noted in 47. Patients w ith benign disease were older, more likely to be Asian, gave a longer history and on examination were less likely to have a testicular mass. Increased levels tumour markers, and ultrasonographic and operative a ppearance of the testis were highly predictive; with ultrasonography h aving a sensitivity of 100 per cent but a specificity of only 36 per c ent for malignancy. Preoperative ultrasonography and an awareness of t he potentially benign nature of many lesions with the use of frozen-se ction biopsy, where appropriate, may allow a decrease in the currently high rate of unnecessary orchidectomy without missing testicular mali gnancy.