Primary
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis is an extremely rare
tumor with a poor prognosis. Herein, we report a case of primary
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis accompanied by elevated serum
carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9)
antigen levels in a 44-year-old man who presented with left scrotal swelling. Para-aortic lymph node swelling was observed on the computed tomography scan.
Germ cell tumor markers were within the normal range, but serum CA19-9
antigen levels were high. Radical
orchiectomy was performed, and histological examination revealed primary
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis with no evidence of other primary
carcinomas. The patient underwent three lines of
chemotherapy, although no reports suggest the use of
gemcitabine and
oxaliplatin (GEMOX) in a patient with
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. Unfortunately, he developed
metastasis at multiple sites and passed away due to
adenocarcinoma 13 months after undergoing
orchiectomy. Some reports suggest that CA19-9
antigen levels are elevated in patients with
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis, although it has not been clarified whether elevated CA19-9
antigen levels reflect the progression of
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. In this case, as CA19-9
antigen levels increased with progression, CA19-9 might be a marker for primary
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. GEMOX
chemotherapy as a line of treatment in primary
adenocarcinoma of the rete testis has not been reported. Therefore, further studies must evaluate the efficacy of the aforementioned
chemotherapy regimen.