Diagnostic accuracy of preoperative alpha-fetoprotein as an ovarian tumor marker in children and adolescents: not as good as we thought?

Ovarian Teratomas in Children and Adolescents: Our Own Experience and Review of Literature

Background: Ovarian teratomas are the most common type of ovarian mass during childhood and adolescence. There is no clear guidance for the management of the ovarian teratomas in children and adolescents. It is necessary, however, to understand the feature of these tumours and the indications for operating on them, and to put subjective criteria for the management in elective or emergency presentations. Methods: Medical records of patients between the age of 12 and 20 years old that underwent surgery for ovarian teratomas at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in University Hospital of Ioannina, between January 2000 and August 2022, were reviewed. A medical database was searched between January 2000 and August 2022 with the following keywords: ovarian teratoma, paediatrics and adolescents. Results: We present the results of forty patients, with a mean age of 11.8 years of age. All patients had surgery, where three out of four underwent oophorectomy and only one out of four underwent ovary-sparing operation; similar results were found in the literature. Conclusion: Ovary-sparing treatment is more common recently compared with the past, such as MIS compared with laparotomy. Better-organised and -planned prospective multi-centre studies are necessary to gain a deeper knowledge of the physiology and prognostic factors of teratomas in children.

Addressing the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas of ovarian immature teratoma: Report from a clinicopathologic consensus conference

Ovarian immature teratoma is a rare subtype of germ cell tumour that can be pure or associated with non-teratomatous germ cell tumour elements and is graded based on extent of the immature neuroectodermal component. Immature teratoma (IT) can also be associated with somatic differentiation in the form of sarcoma, carcinoma, or extensive immature neuroectodermal elements and may produce low levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein. Variable interpretation of these issues underlies diagnostic and management dilemmas, resulting in substantial practice differences between paediatric and adult women with IT. The Malignant Germ Cell International Consortium (MaGIC) convened oncologists, surgeons, and pathologists to address the following crucial clinicopathologic issues related to IT: (1) grading of IT, (2) definition and significance of 'microscopic' yolk sac tumour, (3) transformation to a somatic malignancy, and (4) interpretation of serum tumour biomarkers. This review highlights the discussion, conclusions, and suggested next steps from this clinicopathologic conference.

Management of pediatric benign ovarian tumors in England and Egypt: A comparative study

AIM OF THE STUDY

We aimed to compare the management of pediatric benign ovarian tumors between an English center and three Egyptian institutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective review of all children presenting with benign ovarian tumors between January 2014 and January 2019. A standardized dataset was used to compare between both sides.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine patients were included (54 English and 35 Egyptians). Median age at diagnosis in England was 13 years (2-16y), while in Egypt it was 7 years (9m-16y) with P =0.001. Mature teratomas or dermoid cysts were the most common findings in England and Egypt; 75.9% and 82.8% of cases, respectively. The presentation with an acute abdomen represented 27.8% of English and 28.6% of Egyptian patients. Incidentally diagnosed lesions constituted 15% of English patients, whereas none of the Egyptian cases were discovered incidentally. There were variations in diagnostic imaging; England: Ultrasound (USS) (54), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (37), and computed tomography (CT) (only one)-Egypt: USS (35), CT (17), and MRI (only one). Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) was performed in 15% of English and 23% of Egyptian patients (P = 0.334). Ovarian-sparing surgery (OSS) was performed in: England 35%, Egypt 37%; P = 0.851. OSS was performed using MIS in 87.5% (7/8) of English patients and 100% (8/8) of Egyptians. Patients presented as emergencies generally had open oophorectomies: England; 86.7% open and 80% oophorectomy-Egypt; 100% open and 90% oophorectomy. Recurrences or metachronous disease occurred in 5.6% of English and 5.7% of Egyptian patients.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant differences regarding surgical management, tumor pathology, and recurrence or metachronous disease. However, age, incidental diagnosis, and imaging modalities showed notable differences. MIS was correlated with ovarian preservation, whereas emergency surgery generally resulted in open oophorectomy.

Acute abdominal pain in an adolescent girl with an ovarian yolk sac tumor

Yolk sac tumor (YST) is a rare tumor that usually occurs in the first two decades of life. It is considered the second most common malignant germ cell tumor of the ovary, characterized by a rapid growth and a bad prognosis due to the frequent metastasis. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl who came to our observation for an acute abdominal pain. Clinical examination evidenced a vague mass in the suprapubic region and a lower abdomen tenderness, the US imaging revealed a complex lesion of the left ovary (19 x 13 cm) and the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) resulted high (5858 ng/mL). Computed tomography (CT) revealed a large pelvic mass. The treatment consisted of debulking surgery of yolk sac tumor followed by 4 cycles of BEP protocol (Bleomycin, Etoposide, Cisplatin). After 3 years of follow-up there was no evidence of disease recurrence. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Epidemiologic study of 230 cases of testicular/paratesticular tumors or masses: 15-year experience of a single center

PURPOSE

This study retrospectively investigated the cases of testicular tumors/masses treated in our center from 2002 to 2017 and analyzed their epidemiologic features.

METHODS

Data were collected by searching our center's database using "testicular tumor" or "testicular mass" as keywords. Patients not operated in our hospital were excluded. Preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were reviewed in germ cell tumor (GCT) cases and analyzed to predict malignancy in various age groups.

RESULTS

In total, 230 cases were identified: 151 were benign (78 in the left, 72 in the right, and 1 bilateral) with 3.63years mean age during the operation, and 79 were malignant (42 in the left, 36 in the right, and 1 bilateral) with 2.21years mean age during the operation. Main pathological diagnoses were mature teratoma (92, 40.00%), yolk sac tumor (53, 23.04%), dermoid cyst (23, 10.00%), embryonic carcinoma (15, 6.53%), immature teratoma (14, 6.09%), benign cyst (8, 3.48%), Leydig cell tumor (6, 2.61%), and paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (5, 2.17%). All GCT cases with AFP >1000ng/ml, >100ng/ml, >20ng/ml were malignant in <7-, 7-9-, and ≥10-month-old groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Radical inguinal orchiectomy without biopsy is suggested in 7-9- and ≥10-month-old cases with AFP >100ng/ml and >20ng/ml, respectively.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III-IV.

Selecting treatment method for ovarian masses in children - 24 years of experience

BACKGROUND

Epidemiology and pathology of ovarian tumors in the pediatric population are very different of these encountered in women. Few attempts have been made to analyze the whole spectrum of ovarian pathology in children, and only some of them included series of more than 200 cases. We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical and diagnostic aspects of ovarian tumors and tumor-like lesions in girls in order to identify the characteristics associated with malignancy with an attempt to elaborate a clinical management algorithm.

RESULTS

The study group comprised 214 patients operated on for ovarian tumor in years 1991-2014 at the pediatric surgical center. Non-neoplastic ovarian lesion was diagnosed in 127 females. Sixty-five patients had a benign tumor and 22 had a malignant lesion. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom in the non-malignant lesion group. Patients with ovarian malignancy presented predominantly with abdominal distension and palpable mass. In the non-malignant group imaging studies revealed cystic lesion in 124 patients (68.89%) and solid mass in 10 (5.55%). Malignant lesion showed a solid or mixed structure in all cases. Positive tumor markers were noted in 14 (13.7%) patients with a benign lesion and in 14 (70%) with ovarian malignancy. Large lesions were found in 77.3% of girls with a malignant mass, while only in 32.8% of patients with a benign lesion (p < 0.001). In the group of solid tumors positive tumor marker results occurred more frequently in patients with diagnosed malignant tumors (p < 0.05). Positive tumor markers, large size of the lesion and age below 14 years were independent variables differentiating malignant tumors from non-malignant lesions (p = 0.00000).

CONCLUSIONS

Predominantly solid structures noted on imaging studies, large dimension and positive tumor markers are clinical predictors of malignancy. A diagnosis of purely cystic lesions with negative markers or of a small size should be an indication for a gonad-sparing procedure. Treatment guidelines for ovarian lesions in children should be established on the basis of multicenter prospective studies and introduced as soon as possible in order to improve and unify the ovarian preservation rates across the pediatric surgical centers.

A need for cautious interpretation of elevated serum germ cell tumor markers in children. Review and own experiences

Protocols for pediatric germ cell tumors (GCT) allow for chemotherapy (CHT) initiation without histological diagnosis, based on typical clinical and radiological picture and increased alphafetoprotein (AFP) or beta-human chorionic gonadotropin serum levels. Such strategy may result in misdiagnoses in rare cases. We present two patients with abdominal tumors and high serum AFP levels, diagnosed as GCT. In both, no tumor shrinkage and increasing AFP was observed after first cycles of multidrug CHT for pediatric GCT. Histological examination of biopsied tumor tissues revealed metastatic cholangiocarcinoma in patient 1 and pancreatoblastoma in patient 2, which implicated immediate change of therapy. Presented cases support the necessity to consider the tumor biopsy when patients diagnosed with GCT based on typical clinical presentation and elevated AFP do not respond to CHT with AFP decrease and tumor size reduction.

Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with heterologous elements of gastrointestinal type associated with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein level: an unusual case and literature review

Here we describe the case of a 19-year-old woman with a poorly differentiated ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor and an elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein level. The patient presented with diffuse abdominal pain and bloating. Physical examination, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right ovarian tumor that was histopathologically diagnosed as a poorly differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with heterologous elements. Her alpha-fetoprotein serum level was undetectable after tumor resection. Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors are rare sex cord-stromal tumors that account for 0.5% of all ovarian neoplasms. Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors tend to be unilateral and occur in women under 30 years of age. Although they are the most common virilizing tumor of the ovary, about 60% are endocrine-inactive tumors. Elevated serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein are rarely associated with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, with only approximately 30 such cases previously reported in the literature. The differential diagnosis should include common alpha-fetoprotein-producing ovarian entities such as germ cell tumors, as well as other non-germ cell tumors that have been rarely reported to produce this tumor marker.

Pediatric ovarian neoplastic tumors: incidence, age at presentation, tumor markers and outcome

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence, age of onset and tumor marker levels in benign and malignant pediatric ovarian neoplastic tumors.

DESIGN

Retrospective database study.

SETTING

Single-center study.

POPULATION

Forty-five 0-15-year-old girls operated on for ovarian neoplastic tumors from the beginning of 1999 to the end of 2013.

METHODS

Serum alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin and CA 125 levels as well as follow-up data were recorded from patient charts and tumor histology was re-evaluated.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence of ovarian neoplastic tumors in the pediatric population. Differences in patient characteristics and tumor marker levels between those with benign and malignant tumors.

RESULTS

The annual incidence of ovarian tumors was 2.2/100,000 females. Median age at presentation was 13.0 years (range 0.9-15.7), similar in both the 33 (73%) girls with a benign tumor and the 12 (27%) girls with a malignant tumor. The tumors with the highest propensity to metastasize (yolk sac tumors, mixed germ cell tumors, small cell carcinoma) were only found in girls > 9 years. Elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein and CA 125 values associated more often with malignant tumors (p < 0.001 and p < 0.031, respectively). There were no deaths or local recurrences. Four girls with a mature teratoma developed a contralateral benign ovarian tumor during follow up.

CONCLUSIONS

Both benign and malignant ovarian tumors are rare in the pediatric population, but the incidence increases with age. High alpha-fetoprotein and CA 125 levels were associated with malignant tumors. The prognosis of the pediatric ovarian tumors seems to be favorable.

Minimally invasive surgery in the management of abdominal tumors in children

The application of minimally invasive surgical techniques to pediatric abdominal tumors is a controversial application towards the surgical management of childhood cancer. Although general pediatric surgeons practice minimally invasive surgery techniques in a vast array of abdominal cases, its role in pediatric oncology is still developing, with no consensus in North America about its use for pediatric solid abdominal tumors. The purposes of this article are to review the current literature about the use of minimally invasive surgery in pediatric abdominal oncology and to examine established indications, procedures and technologic advances.