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Metastatic seminoma: Initial diagnosis at autopsy due to fatal pulmonary thromboembolism

Nadia Lee MBBS

Corresponding Author

Nadia Lee MBBS

Forensic Medicine Division, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore, Singapore

Correspondence

Nadia Lee, Forensic Medicine Division, Health Sciences Authority, 11 Outram Road, Singapore 169078, Singapore.

Email: [email protected]

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George Paul MBBS, DMJ

George Paul MBBS, DMJ

Forensic Medicine Division, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore, Singapore

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First published: 17 July 2025

Abstract

Testicular cancer is the most common solid organ malignancy among young males, with a good survival rate if detected in a timely manner. We describe a case where a previously well young adult male died suddenly due to previously undiagnosed metastatic testicular cancer with retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, resulting in compression and invasion of the inferior vena cava and development of pulmonary thromboembolism. This was attributed to both mechanical compression of the inferior vena cava and the prothrombotic effect of cancer. This is an unusual presentation of seminoma, where diagnosis was only made upon discovery of the pulmonary thromboembolism at autopsy.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest.

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper. This paper has not been presented in any meeting.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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