Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by metastatic testicular choriocarcinoma: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Testicular tumor is one of the common solid tumors in young men. Testicular choriocarcinoma is a non-spermatogonial germ cell tumor, which is the rarest of all testicular cancers. Choriocarcinoma usually shows bleeding at the metastatic site, while gastrointestinal involvement is rare. METHODS: Here, we report a case of testicular choriocarcinoma with gastrointestinal bleeding as the first diagnosis and summarize the similar cases all over the world in recent 20 years. RESULTS: A 28-year-old male was treated with repeated melena for 2 months. No bleeding foci of the stomach, duodenum, colon, and rectum were found in endoscopy, and no bleeding foci of digestive tract was found in selective angiography, but a space occupying lesions of the lung, liver, and upper jejunum were found in chest and abdominal CT. Considering the possibility of a metastatic tumor and the ineffectiveness of medical treatment, the patient was converted to surgical treatment. The postoperative pathology was consistent with testicular choriocarcinoma. The patient received a chemotherapy regimen of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin. At present, the chemotherapy regimen is well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The case report confirmed that even if we cannot find the logical relationship between clinical manifestations and genital examination, genital examination should also be part of the patient’s systematic examination.