Paraneoplastic production of human chorionic gonadotropin by paratesticular dedifferentiated liposarcoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation

A man in his 70s presented with a left inguinoscrotal mass. Testicular tumour markers showed markedly elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The 24.5 cm mass was resected, and histology confirmed a rare diagnosis of paratesticular dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. The patient expired with distant metastasis 11 months after presenting to his general practitioner. HCG-producing soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are commonly reported as high-grade, poorly differentiated and with a poor prognosis. The role of hCG in tumour angiogenesis may influence these features. Paratesticular STS treatment guidelines have been influenced by the management of retroperitoneal STS, which are relatively more common. Studies of genitourinary STS demonstrate that positive surgical margins pose the greatest risk to local recurrence and metastasis-free survival. This case demonstrates the rapid growth of DDLPS-producing hCG, the propensity to metastasise, and poor prognosis, requiring further research into the benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy for DDLPS.