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Leydig Cell Tumor

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Endocrine Pathology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

  • 41 Accesses

Synonyms

Interstitial cell tumor

Definition

Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) of the testis are composed of medium to large polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and resembling non-neoplastic Leydig cells of the testis.

Clinical Features

LCTs account for about 3% of testicular neoplasm (Kim et al. 1985). About 20% of cases are found at 5–10 years of age and are responsible for 10% of all cases of early pseudo-puberty in children, with the presentation of these precocious symptoms more frequently observed in the first 5 years. The majority of the cases (80%) has the peak of incidence in middle adulthood (30–60 years).

In adult male, LCTs may be seen with asymptomatic testicular mass, but if the tumor secretes estrogens, it can cause feminization, gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and loss of libido. Rarely LCTs occur with Cushing syndrome. Testicular Leydig cell tumors can be detected echographically; however incidental identification of these lesions is possible....

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References and Further Reading

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Uropathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Maurizio Colecchia & Alessia Bertolotti

Authors
  1. Maurizio Colecchia
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  2. Alessia Bertolotti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maurizio Colecchia .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

    Stefano La Rosa

  2. Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Pathology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

    Silvia Uccella

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University and Service of Pathology, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy

    Silvia Uccella

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Colecchia, M., Bertolotti, A. (2022). Leydig Cell Tumor. In: La Rosa, S., Uccella, S. (eds) Endocrine Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62345-6_5123

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62345-6_5123

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-62344-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-62345-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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