Direct evidence on the efficacy of GnRH agonist in recurrent steroid cell tumor-not otherwise specified

Ovarian steroid cell tumors, not otherwise specified: three case reports and literature review

Objective

To provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian steroid cell tumors, not otherwise specified (SCTs-NOS).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of three patients with SCTs-NOS admitted to the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2012 to 2022 and reviewed literature reports related to this disease.

Results

A total of 3 cases in our center and 70 cases searched in literature reports were included. The age at diagnosis ranged from 3 to 93 years (median, 34 years). The common clinical manifestations were hirsutism, acne, deepened voice, clitoromegaly, amenorrhea, and excessive weight gain. Tumor sizes ranged from 1.2 to 45 cm, with an average diameter of 6.5cm. Most of SCTs-NOS were benign, but some of them exhibited malignant behavior. Surgery was the main treatment and close follow-up was required. The follow up time of 73 cases ranged from 3 to 132 months (median, 21.3 months). Disease recurrence or progression occurred in 14 cases (19.2%). Three of the 73 patients had a successful pregnancy.

Conclusion

SCTs-NOS usually occur in women of reproductive age, which are mainly manifested as androgen excess symptoms. Surgery is an appropriate treatment for SCTs-NOS and should be individualized. Final diagnosis depends on pathology. SCTs-NOS have malignant potential, and the treatments for patients with malignant tumors and disease recurrence or progression were cytoreductive surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) therapy.

Ovarian steroid cell tumors: what do we know so far?

Steroid cell tumors (SCT) of the ovary are rare, which has limited advances in the understanding of this enigmatic neoplasm. In this review, we summarize currently known clinicopathologic information on SCT. SCT are frequently hormonally active, leading to elevated serum and/or urine levels of androgenic hormones or their metabolites, and associated symptomatology, including virilization. The reported age at diagnosis is broad and has ranged from as young as 1 year old to 93 years old, although most patients were between ages 20 and 40 years. Most tumors are stage I and unilateral. The tumors are usually well circumscribed with a solid or solid to cystic cut surface. The tumors in one series reportedly ranged in size from 1.2 to 45 cm (average 8.4 cm). MRI is a useful imaging modality, typically showing a well delineated mass with contrast enhancement and lipid content on T2 and T1 weighted images, respectively. Microscopically, SCT display polygonal to epithelioid cells with abundant eosinophilic to vacuolated/clear cytoplasm and display an immunoprofile that is consistent with sex cord-stromal differentiation. Most cases are benign, without any recurrences after primary resection, but a subset - probably less than 20% of cases -are clinically malignant. Pathologic criteria that can specifically predict patient outcomes remain elusive, although features that correlate with adverse outcomes have been proposed based on retrospective studies. The molecular characteristics of SCTs are similarly under characterized, although there is some evidence of an enrichment for hypoxia-signaling gene mutations in SCT. In malignant SCT, the tumors generally show greater global genomic instability, copy number gains in oncogenes, and occasional BAP1 mutation. Future studies involving multi-institutional cohort and unbiased molecular profiling using whole exome/transcriptome sequencing are needed to help advance our molecular understanding of SCTs.

Recurrent steroid cell tumor not otherwise specified with elevated testosterone and prolactin concentrations and impaired glucose metabolism: a case report

Steroid cell tumor not otherwise specified (SCT-NOS) is a rare type of sex cord-stromal tumor with malignant potential. A 19-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic bilateral cystectomy, and postoperative pathology showed bilateral ovarian SCT-NOS. She had recurrence of the right tumor 8 years after the surgery, with shortened menstrual cycles, elevated testosterone and prolactin concentrations, and impaired glucose metabolism. We performed a laparoscopic right salpingo-oophorectomy. Testosterone and prolactin concentrations rapidly decreased and returned to the normal range after surgery. Subsequently, she had regular menstrual cycles and good glycemic control. The findings in our case suggest that there is a possibility of late recurrence in SCT-NOS. Therefore, we suggest that the postoperative follow-up period should be 10 years for this condition.

Malignant Metastatic Steroid Cell Tumor NOS: A rare presentation of a subtype of sex cord stromal tumor

Steroid cell tumors - not otherwise specified (NOS) - are rare sex cord stromal tumors that lack characteristic histology, are benign, and usually present with androgenic manifestations. Metastatic malignant steroid cell tumors pose treatment challenges due to their chemoresistance nature. This is a case report of a metastatic steroid cell tumor - NOS with extensive peritoneal disease.

Ovarian steroid cell tumors, not otherwise specified: analysis of nine cases with a literature review

BACKGROUND

Ovarian steroid cell tumors (SCTs), not otherwise specified (NOS), are rare, with few large studies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical features, prognosis, and treatment choices for these patients of different age groups.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. We identified nine cases of ovarian steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified, confirmed by post-operative histopathological examination, and analyzed clinical features, surgical procedures, and follow up outcomes. We also reviewed cases reports of ovarian steroid cell tumors, not otherwise specified.

RESULTS

A total of nine cases were included. The age range was 9-68 years (mean, 41.89 ± 19.72 years). Clinical features included virilization, amenorrhea, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, isosexual precocious puberty, Cushing's syndrome, and abnormal weight gain with elevated testosterone levels. The follow up interval ranged 5-53 months and no recurrence was observed.

CONCLUSION

Ovarian steroid cell tumors covered all age groups, with manifestations of androgen excess. Younger patients appeared to have a more favorable prognosis, which provided more opportunities for these patients to pursue treatment options that will preserve reproductive function.

Recurrent ovarian steroid cell tumour not otherwise specified: A case report

Steroid cell tumors not otherwise specified are one of the rare virilizing ovarian tumors. Most of the tumors are benign. This case report illustrates the challenge in managing steroid cell tumor not otherwise specified, which starts from determining its malignant potential, surveillance, and adjuvant treatment option.

Failure of multiple surgical procedures and adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage steroid-cell ovarian tumor treatment: a case report and literature review

Ovarian steroid-cell tumors (SCTs) are a rare subgroup of sex-cord tumors of the ovary, accounting for less than 0.1% of all ovarian tumors. Not otherwise specified (NOS) tumors are the most common subtype. More than half of patients with SCTs-NOS show hyperandrogenic symptoms. The primary treatment for SCTs is surgery, as most cases are early-staged and benign. Because of the low incidence of metastatic disease, there is insufficient reliable information on the role of adjuvant therapy and the most effective treatment regimen. In this report, a rare case of a recurrent SCT-NOS in a 36-year-old female patient without endocrine symptoms is presented, highlighting the significance of appropriate pathological evaluation and immunohistochemical testing for the accurate diagnosis of this malignancy, particularly in the case of hormonally “silent” tumors. The metastatic tumor described here showed no response to four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy after several debulking surgeries. Based on the clinical findings, the neoplastic etiology should always be considered during the resection of ovarian tumors to prevent possible disease dissemination due to inappropriate surgical techniques.