Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 41-50, January 2006

Primary Testicular and Intraocular Lymphomas: Two Case Reports and a Review of the Literature

  • Dana J. Wallace, BS

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • ,
  • Chandra R. Altemare, MD

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • ,
  • De Fen Shen, PhD

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • ,
  • Marc D. deSmet

      Affiliations

    • Academic Center University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
    • ,
  • Ronald R. Buggage, MD

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • ,
  • Robert B. Nussenblatt, MD

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • ,
  • Chi-Chao Chan, MD

      Affiliations

    • National Eye Institute, NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint address: Chi-Chao Chan, MD, Bldg. 10, Rm. 10N103, NIH/NEI, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-1857

STEFAN SEREGARD AND MILTON BONIUK, EDITORS

Abstract 

Testicular lymphoma is a rare neoplasm of the testis that is most commonly seen in older patients. It metastasizes preferentially to extranodal sites, including the skin, central nervous system, Waldeyer ring, contralateral testis, and lung. Two case reports of patients with a history of testicular lymphoma who developed involvement of the vitreous and retina are presented. These are interesting cases as the testis, central nervous system, and eye are all immune privileged organs, which may account for occurrence of disease in these sites. Histopathologic examination of diagnostic vitrectomy specimens from both cases showed atypical lymphoid cells with immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements, consistent with the diagnosis of intraocular B-cell lymphoma. The results of a literature review of all reports of ocular involvement with testicular lymphoma are discussed. Patients with testicular lymphoma are at risk for relapse, particularly in the central nervous system. Clinicians should be suspicious for intraocular lymphoma in patients with a history of testicular lymphoma who present with vitritis or retinal lesions.

Key words: immune privileged organ, immunohistochemistry, intraocular lymphoma, microdissection, PCR, retina, testicular lymphoma, vitreous

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 The authors reported no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article.

PII: S0039-6257(05)00193-1

doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2005.11.002

Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 41-50, January 2006

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