Pelvic haematoma following orchidectomy: a pitfall in the staging of non-seminomatous germ cell tumour.

Treatment of non-seminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT) is critically dependent on the stage of disease at presentation. Staging is by clinical examination, estimation of tumour markers (serum human chorionic gonadotrophin, HCG, and alpha-fetoprotein, AFP) and imaging; the latter comprising chest radiography and thoraco-abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan. Three cases are presented whose staging CT scan showed abnormality confined to the external and common iliac region ipsilateral to orchidectomy, subsequently diagnosed as resulting from a post-operative haematoma. The importance in considering this differential diagnosis and its effect on treatment are stressed.