Epididymis metastasis from colon carcinoma: a case report and a review of the Japanese literature.

A 56-year-old Japanese man in whom a descending colon carcinoma had been resected underwent a high orchitectomy for metastatic epididymis from the colon. Metastatic carcinoma from the digestive organs to the spermatic cord (SC) and/or the intrascrotal contents (ISC) is rare. Fifty-four Japanese patients with metastasis from the digestive organs to the SC and/or the ISC were analyzed. The most frequent primary site was the stomach and the most frequent metastatic site was the spermatic cord. Our patient was the first to exhibit metastasis from the colon to the epididymis. A primary site was identified in 24 patients subsequent to the metastatic tumor. Twenty patients had other organ metastasis. The prognosis for SC and/or ISC metastasis patients is poor. Our patients has survived for 18 months following his orchitectomy with no other organ metastasis (31 months after the primary operation). In our patient, monoclonal estrogen receptor staining was negative; however, further study must be undertaken.