SILICON TESTICULAR IMPLANTS

Description of Event or Problem

IN 1981 I HAD ANAPLASTIC SEMINOMA IN THE LEFT TESTICLE. THE TESTICLE WAS REMOVED FOLLOWED BY RADIATION TREATMENT. IN 1990 I HAD SEMINOMA IN THE RIGHT TESTICLE WHICH WAS REMOVED FOLLOWED BY BILATERAL SILICON PROSTHETIC IMPLANTS. I HAD A METASTASIZED SEMINOMA IN THE ABDOMINAL LYMPH NODES IN 1991 FOLLOWED BY COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY, VP-16, CISPLATIN AND BLEOMYCIN. SOMEWHERE AROUND 2000, I NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT IMPLANT HAD ADHERED TO THE SCROTUM. AROUND 2004, I STARTED FEELING A DIFFERENCE IN THE PALPABILITY OF THE TWO IMPLANTS. THE RIGHT ONE WAS DEFINITELY HARDER THAN THE LEFT. I COMPLAINED TO SEVERAL DOCTORS, BUT MY CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED. IN 2006 I STARTED GETTING SMALL HARD PATCHES OF SKIN PRIMARILY ON THE ABDOMEN AND ARMS, MOST HAVE BEEN BURNED OFF. THREE CT SCANS SPACED AT TWO YEAR INTERVALS HAVE SHOWN A DEFINITE THICKENING SHELL AROUND THE RIGHT IMPLANT. IT IS NOW EXTREMELY HARD AND STILL ADHERED TO THE SCROTUM. IN 2010 I HAD CLEAR CELL RENAL CANCER TREATED WITH A PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY. ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I HAD WHAT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A GENITAL WART BURNED OFF THE SHAFT OF THE PENIS. EVEN THOUGH I AM ON ANDROGEL TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT, DUE TO POLYCYTHEMIA WHEN AT HIGHER DOSES, I TAKE A SMALL DOSE LEAVING ME WITH VERY LOW LIBIDO. I HAVE NOT HAD SEX WITH ANYONE IN NEARLY 10 YEARS. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE GENITAL WARTS WAS A MISDIAGNOSIS AND IS SIMILAR TO THE HARDENED SKIN AREAS POSSIBLY CAUSED BY AN AUTOIMMUNE REACTION TO THE LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO THE SILICON IMPLANT. I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING SOME RECENT HARDENING OF THE SCAR TISSUE FROM THE GROIN INCISION TO REMOVE THE LEFT TESTICLE FROM 1981.