Vision Loss as Presenting Symptom in Testicular Cancer: A Morbid Case Report

Abstract

Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in men 20-40 years old and most commonly metastasizes to the lung, liver, and brain. Choroidal metastasis from testicular cancer is exceedingly rare, and only few cases have been described in the literature. We report a patient who presented with painful unilateral vision loss as the initial presenting symptom of metastatic testicular germ cell tumor (GCT). A 22-year-old Latino man presented with a 3-week history of progressive central vision loss and dyschromatopsia, accompanied by intermittent, throbbing ocular, and periocular pain, in the left eye. Associated symptom was remarkable for abdominal pain. Examination of the left eye disclosed light perception vision and a large choroidal mass in the posterior pole involving the optic disk and the macula with associated hemorrhages. Neuroimaging showed a 2.1-cm lesion in the posterior globe of the left eye, and B-scan and A-scan ultrasonography findings were consistent with choroidal metastasis. Systemic workup revealed a mass in the left testicle with metastasis to the retroperitoneum, lungs, and liver. Biopsy of a retroperitoneal lymph node showed a GCT. Visual acuity worsened from light perception to no light perception 5 days following initial presentation. Several cycles of chemotherapy were completed, including salvage therapy; however, these treatments were unsuccessful. While vision loss due to choroidal metastasis as the initial presenting symptom of testicular cancer is rare, clinicians should consider metastatic testicular cancer in the differential diagnoses in patients with choroidal tumors, especially in young men.

Keywords: Choroid; Metastasis; Nonseminomatous germ cell tumor; Testicular carcinoma.