Radiological manifestations of metastasis to the ovary

When it's not ovarian cancer: A case of a massive leiomyoma with hydropic change

Background

Uterine leiomyomas are benign tumors characterized by pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding. Their evolution can lead to degenerative changes, occasionally mimicking malignancies on imaging, presenting diagnostic challenges.

Case presentation

A 31-year-old nulliparous woman presented with symptoms of bloating, cramping, and abdominal distension. Imaging suggested an advanced ovarian malignancy, showing a complex adnexal mass and elevated CA-125 levels. During exploratory laparotomy, what was suspected to be ovarian cancer was instead identified as a large uterine mass on pathologic evaluation revealing a benign leiomyoma with extensive hydropic change.

Conclusion

This case highlights the diagnostic intricacies associated with large complex adnexal masses and illustrates how benign conditions like leiomyomas with hydropic degeneration can mimic ovarian cancer. This emphasizes the importance of comprehensive preoperative and intraoperative assessments to tailor management and avoid unindicated radical procedures.

Assessing synchronous ovarian metastasis in gastric cancer patients using a clinical-radiomics nomogram based on baseline abdominal contrast-enhanced CT: a two-center study

BACKGROUND

To build and validate a radiomics nomogram based on preoperative CT scans and clinical data for detecting synchronous ovarian metastasis (SOM) in female gastric cancer (GC) cases.

METHODS

Pathologically confirmed GC cases in 2 cohorts were retrospectively enrolled. All cases had presurgical abdominal contrast-enhanced CT and pelvis contrast-enhanced MRI and pathological examinations for any suspicious ovarian lesions detected by MRI. Cohort 1 cases (n = 101) were included as the training set. Radiomics features were obtained to develop a radscore. A nomogram combining the radscore and clinical factors was built to detect SOM. The bootstrap method was carried out in cohort 1 as internal validation. External validation was carried out in cohort 2 (n = 46). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA) and the confusion matrix were utilized to assess the performances of the radscore, nomogram and subjective evaluation model.

RESULTS

The nomogram, which combined age and the radscore, displayed a higher AUC than the radscore and subjective evaluation (0.910 vs 0.827 vs 0.773) in the training cohort. In the external validation cohort, the nomogram also had a higher AUC than the radscore and subjective evaluation (0.850 vs 0.790 vs 0.675). DCA and the confusion matrix confirmed the nomogram was superior to the radscore in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study showed that a nomogram model combining the radscore and clinical characteristics is useful in detecting SOM in female GC cases. It may be applied to improve clinical treatment and is superior to subjective evaluation or the radscore alone.

MR Imaging of Gynecologic Tumors: Pearls, Pitfalls, and Tumor Mimics

MR imaging is the modality of choice for the pre-treatment evaluation of patients with gynecologic malignancies, given its excellent soft tissue contrast and multi-planar capability. However, it is not without pitfalls. Challenges can be encountered in the assessment of the infiltration of myometrium, vagina, cervical stroma, and parametria, which are crucial prognostic factors for endometrial and cervical cancers. Other challenges can be encountered in the distinction between solid and non-solid tissue and in the identification of peritoneal carcinomatosis for the sonographically indeterminate adnexal mass.

A case report of appendiceal adenocarcinoma without gastrointestinal evidence mimicking primary ovarian cancer

Metastatic tumours to the ovary comprise 10–25% of ovarian malignancies and may originate from various primary sites. Here, the case of a 49-year-old female patient who presented with periumbilical nodules and abdominal bloating is reported. She was found to have bilateral ovarian tumours with peritoneal carcinomatosis and ascites. Primary ovarian cancer was suspected while no contributory gastrointestinal lesion was detected by imaging studies and endoscopic examinations. Three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were administered, followed by interval debulking surgery. Appendiceal cancer was highly suspected based on analysis of a frozen section obtained during surgical debulking. Following the pathology investigation, the patient was finally diagnosed with primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma. She underwent chemotherapy comprising irinotecan and fluorouracil. Due to disease progression despite several chemotherapy regimens, the patient declined further treatment and was lost to follow-up 1 year after the debulking surgery. Metastatic tumours to the ovary may mimic primary ovarian cancers and often present with nonspecific manifestations. Therefore, meticulous exploration of the primary site is warranted if the diagnosis is clinically suspicious.

A radiomic nomogram based on arterial phase of CT for differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Purpose

To develop and validate a radiomic nomogram based on arterial phase of CT to discriminate the primary ovarian cancers (POCs) and secondary ovarian cancers (SOCs).

Methods

A total of 110 ovarian cancer patients in our hospital were reviewed from January 2010 to December 2018. Radiomic features based on the arterial phase of CT were extracted by Artificial Intelligence Kit software (A.K. software). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operation regression (LASSO) was employed to select features and construct the radiomics score (Rad-score) for further radiomics signature calculation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predicting model. The predictive nomogram model was composed of rad-score and clinical data. Nomogram discrimination and calibration were evaluated.

Results

Two radiomic features were selected to build the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram that incorporated 2 radiomics signature and 2 clinical factors (CA125 and CEA) showed good discrimination in training cohort (AUC 0.854), yielding the sensitivity of 78.8% and specificity of 90.7%, which outperformed the prediction model based on radiomics signature or clinical data alone. A visualized differential nomogram based on the radiomic score, CEA, and CA125 level was established. The calibration curve demonstrated the clinical usefulness of the proposed nomogram.

Conclusion

The presented nomogram, which incorporated radiomic features of arterial phase of CT with clinical features, could be useful for differentiating the primary and secondary ovarian cancers.

Novel classification of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer by radiological imaging and macroscopic appearance

BACKGROUND

Diagnosis of secondary ovarian tumors originating from colorectal cancer has previously been based upon history of malignancy and radiological findings of bilateral masses with a "stained glass appearance." The purpose of this study was to perform a detailed investigation of the radiological and macroscopic features of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer, which remain to be fully characterized.

METHODS

Study participants were 48 consecutive patients with ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer who underwent resection of ovarian tumors at the National Cancer Center Hospital between August 1998 and January 2019. Ovarian tumors were classified into subgroups using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and macroscopic appearance.

RESULTS

CT/MRI findings and macroscopic appearance were classified into the following four types: type 1 (oval, homogeneous-solid) (n = 5); type 2 (heterogeneous-solid, small in size with multinodular surface) (n = 3); type 3 (solid-cystic, predominantly solid) (n = 18); and type 4 (cystic-solid, multilocular with solid components) (n = 22). Type 1 mimics Krukenberg tumors, type 2 mimics ovarian metastases from breast cancer, type 3 mimics primary ovarian endometrioid cancer, and type 4 mimics primary ovarian mucinous cancer, with a "stained glass appearance". Twenty-eight (58%) patients had bilateral metastases. Eleven patients (23%) underwent hysterectomy and/or pelvic lymph node dissection in addition to ovarian resection.

CONCLUSION

We introduced a novel classification system for ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer, which may be beneficial for assessing ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer and avoiding unnecessary surgery due to misdiagnosis of primary ovarian tumors.

Imaging in secondary tumors of the ovary

Metastatic involvement of the ovaries is not rare. The most common tumor types metastasizing to the ovaries, from non-gynecological organs, are breast, colorectal, gastric, and appendix tumors. Lymphogenous, hematogenous, and transcoelomic pathways have all been proposed among potential pathways. Early diagnosis and treatment have an important potential to improve the patient outcome. Krukenberg tumors typically appear as complex semisolid masses with varying amounts of solid and cystic components. Ovarian metastases from the colon primaries are predominantly cystic in nature. Secondary lymphomatous involvement of ovary is mostly bilateral and solid with heterogeneous signal intensity on MRI. Metastatic breast cancer to the ovaries is typically bilateral and tends to be of small size. Among all the other imaging characteristics, bilateral involvement of secondary tumors of the ovary appears to be most potentially helpful finding in differentiating from primary ones.

A comprehensive gene mutation analysis of liquid biopsy samples from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the ovary: A case report

Liquid biopsies of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can detect molecular alterations, including tumor-specific mutations, and have recently been used as a non-invasive diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive tool. However, this technique is not commonly used in the gynecological field. Gene mutation profiling of liquid biopsy samples was performed using CAncer Personalized Profiling by deep Sequencing (CAPP-Seq), a novel next-generation sequencing-based approach to ultrasensitive ctDNA detection, in order to make it possible to molecularly diagnose metastatic colorectal cancer to the ovary. Liquid biopsy (plasma) samples and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples were obtained from two patients with ovarian tumors, who had a history of surgery for colorectal cancer, and comprehensive gene mutation profiling was conducted using CAPP-Seq. In patient 1, mutations were identified in the same three regions in both the ovarian tumor and preoperative plasma sample (in the KRAS G13D, APC E1306*, and TP53 H193Y genes). In patient 2, mutation was identified in the same one region in all the primary colorectal tumor, the ovarian tumor, and preoperative plasma sample (in APC R216* gene). These mutations are well-known genetic signatures of colorectal cancer, suggesting that the ovarian tumor was metastatic. Tthe gene mutation patterns of colorectal cancer were examined by subjecting liquid biopsy samples from patients with suspected metastatic ovarian tumors to CAPP-Seq. Gene mutation profiling of liquid biopsy samples can contribute to the preoperative differential diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cancer and its subsequent personalized treatment.

Bilateral Ovarian Tumors on MRI: How Should We Differentiate the Lesions?

Background

We investigated the distinguishing pathological features of bilateral ovarian tumors using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Methods

Eighty-six patients with bilateral ovarian tumors on MR imaging were evaluated. The pathological diagnosis was investigated, and the results were subjected to statistical analysis using Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, Chi-squared test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the features useful for the differentiation of distinct types of lesions.

Results

The diagnosis of bilateral ovarian tumors was confirmed in eighty-one patients and the majority of the lesions were further classified into serous carcinoma (n = 36), mature teratoma (n = 20) and metastasis (n = 12). We assessed the existence of factors useful for the MR imaging differentiation between metastasis and serous carcinoma or primary malignant ovarian tumors. Cancer antigen (CA) 125 serum level and maximum tumor diameter were significantly different between metastasis and serous carcinoma and similarly, between metastasis and primary malignant ovarian tumors. MR imaging morphology, ascites and peritoneal implants did not show any significant difference between the different types of lesions.

Conclusion

Within our patient cohort, most bilateral ovarian tumor lesions were determined to be serous carcinoma, mature teratoma or metastasis. CA 125 serum level and maximum tumor diameter are useful markers for the differentiation between metastasis and serous carcinoma or primary malignant ovarian tumors.

Fertility-sparing for young patients with gynecologic cancer: How MRI can guide patient selection prior to conservative management

Historically, cancer treatment has emphasized measures for the "cure" regardless of the long-term consequences. Advances in cancer detection and treatment have resulted in improved outcomes bringing to the fore various quality of life considerations including future fertility. For many young cancer patients, fertility preservation is now an integral component of clinical decision-making and treatment design. Optimal fertility-sparing options for young patients with gynecologic cancer are influenced by patient age, primary cancer, treatment regimens, and patient preferences. Possible approaches include embryo or oocyte cryopreservation, ovarian transposition, conservative surgery, and conservative medical treatment to delay radical surgery. These may be used alone or in combination to maximize fertility preservation. Awareness of the various fertility-sparing options, eligibility criteria, and the central role of magnetic resonance imaging in the proper selection of patients will enable radiologists to produce complete clinically relevant imaging reports and serve as effective consultants to referring clinicians. Knowledge of the potential imaging pitfalls is essential to avoid misinterpretation and guide appropriate management.

The pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of metastatic tumors to the ovary: a comprehensive review

Secondary tumors of the ovary account for 10-25% of all ovarian malignancies. The most common tumors that give rise to ovarian metastases include breast, colorectal, endometrial, stomach, and appendix cancer. The correct diagnosis of secondary ovarian tumors may be challenging as they are not infrequently misdiagnosed as primary ovarian cancer, particularly in the case of mucinous adenocarcinomas. The distinction from the latter is essential, as it requires different treatment. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role in distinguishing primary ovarian tumors from extra-ovarian metastases and, furthermore, may suggest the primary tumor site. Despite extensive study, some cases remain equivocal even after assessing a broad spectrum of antigens. Therefore, gene expression profiling represents an approach able to further discriminate equivocal findings, and one that has been proven effective in determining the origin of cancer of unknown primary site. The available data concerning secondary ovarian tumors is rather limited owing to the relative heterogeneity of this group and the practical absence of any prospective trials. However, several intriguing questions are encountered in daily practice, including rational diagnostic workup, the role of cytoreductive surgery, and consequent adjuvant chemotherapy. This review seeks to address these issues comprehensively and summarize current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management of secondary ovarian tumors, including further discussion on the different pathways of metastatisation, metastatic organotropism, and their possible molecular mechanisms.

Adnexal masses associated with peritoneal involvement: diagnosis with CT and MRI

Given the unique intra-peritoneal anatomic location of the adnexa, tubo-ovarian diseases can commonly spread into the peritoneal cavity. Peritoneal seeding may occur in a spectrum of adnexal conditions including infectious diseases, endometriosis, and benign or malignant primary or secondary ovarian tumors. CT is usually the imaging modality on which the concomitant involvement of the peritoneum and the ovary is depicted. The first diagnosis to be considered by the radiologist is generally peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian cancer but other conditions cited above have also to be borne in mind and may be suggested on the basis of careful assessment of CT findings or on further MR findings. MRI may indeed help characterize the lesions in some cases. The purpose of this review is to describe the clinical and imaging patterns of peritoneal involvement that may be found in association with different ovarian lesions. Familiarity with these patterns and diagnoses will help the radiologist narrow the differential diagnosis and make an accurate diagnosis, thus facilitating patient management and avoiding unnecessary invasive treatment.

Clinical and genetic determinants of ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer (OM-CRC) often are unresponsive to chemotherapy and are associated with poor survival. To the authors' knowledge, the clinicopathologic and genomic predictors of OM-CRC are poorly characterized and optimal clinical management remains unclear.

METHODS

Women with a histopathological diagnosis of OM-CRC who were treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 1999 to 2015 were identified. Next-generation somatic mutation profiling (Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets [MSK-IMPACT]) was performed on 38 OM-CRC cases, including 21 matched tumor pairs/trios. Regression models were used to analyze variables associated with progression-free survival and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS), SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4), and neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 1 (NTRK1) mutations were more frequent in cases of OM-CRC than in instances of CRC occurring without OM. SMAD4 and lysine methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) mutations were associated with reduced OS. Matched multisite tumor sequencing did not identify OM-specific genomic alterations. Of the 195 patients who underwent oophorectomy for OM-CRC (median age, 49 years with a progression-free survival of 9.4 months and an OS of 23 months from oophorectomy), 76% had extraovarian metastasis (EOM). In multivariable analysis, residual disease after surgery (R2 resection) was associated with worse survival. Patients with EOM were less likely to achieve R0/R1 surgical resection status (complete macroscopic resection without clinical/radiological evidence of disease) (48% vs 94%). However, if R0/R1 resection status was achieved, both patients with (35.9 months vs 12 months) and without (43.2 months vs 14.5 months) EOM were found to have better OS. Among 114 patients with R0/R1 resection status, 23 (20%) had no disease recurrence, including 10 patients (9%) with > 3 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss-of-function alterations in SMAD4 are frequent and predictive of worse survival in patients with OM-CRC. Similar to oligometastatic CRC to the lung or liver, surgical resection of OM-CRC is associated with a better outcome only if all macroscopic metastatic disease is resected. Cancer 2017;123:1134-1143. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Metastatic gastric cancer to the female genital tract

Metastases to the female genital tract from gastric cancer are rare, but they significantly worsen the prognosis of such patients. The potential routes for metastasis to the female genital tract from gastric cancer include hematogenous spread, lymphatic spread and surface implantation. The rate of lymphatic metastasis to the ovary from gastric cancer has been reported to be higher compared with that from colorectal cancer. Uterine or Fallopian tube metastases are usually secondary to ovarian metastases, which are typically identified prior to the detection of gastric cancer in half of all synchronous cases, with complaints of abdominal distention, pain, palpable mass, or abnormal uterine bleeding. The prognosis of patients with female genital tract metastases from gastric cancer is extremely poor, and is worse compared with that of other primary sites, such as the breast and colorectum. In the past, surgical intervention in such patients consisted mainly of palliative resection to relieve the symptoms associated with a sizeable pelvic mass. However, recent retrospective studies based on a relatively small number of patients have reported that surgical tumor debulking plus chemotherapy may improve the prognosis of patients with metastatic ovarian cancer originating from gastric cancer.

MRI for discriminating metastatic ovarian tumors from primary epithelial ovarian cancers

AIMS

To find specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to differentiate metastatic ovarian tumors from primary epithelial ovarian cancers.

METHODS

Eleven cases with metastatic ovarian tumors and 26 cases with primary malignant epithelial ovarian cancers were retrospectively studied. All features such as patient characteristics, MRI findings and biomarkers were evaluated. The differences including laterality, configuration, uniformity of locules, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) signal of solid components and enhancement of solid portions between metastatic ovarian tumors and primary epithelial ovarian cancers were compared by Fisher's exact test. Median age of patients, the maximum diameter of lesions and biomarkers were compared by the Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS

Patients with metastatic ovarian tumors were younger than patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancers in the median age (P = 0.015). Patients with bilateral tumors in metastatic ovarian tumors were more than those of primary epithelial ovarian cancers (P = 0.032). The maximum diameter of lesions in metastatic ovarian tumors was smaller than that of primary epithelial ovarian cancers (P = 0.005). The locules in metastatic ovarian tumors were more uniform than those of primary epithelial ovarian cancers (P = 0.024). The enhancement of solid portions in metastatic ovarian tumors showed more moderate than that of primary epithelial ovarian cancers (P = 0.037). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in configuration, DWI signal of solid components and ascites. Biomarkers such as CA125 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in metastatic ovarian tumors showed less elevated than that of primary epithelial ovarian cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant differences between metastatic ovarian tumors and primary epithelial ovarian cancers were found in the median age of patients, laterality, the maximum diameter of lesions, uniformity of locules, enhancement patterns of solid portions and biomarkers. Metastatic ovarian tumors usually presented in the younger patients, smaller-sized, more bilateral lesions, more uniform of locules, more moderate enhancement of solid portions, and less elevated levels of CA125 and HE4 than those of primary epithelial ovarian cancers.

[Morphology of secondary ovarian tumors and metastases]

The distinction between primary and secondary (metastatic) ovarian tumors is essential for the selection of appropriate surgical interventions, chemotherapeutic treatment and prognostic evaluation for the patient. Metastatic tumors of the ovary range between 5 % and 30 %. The majority of ovarian metastases in Europe and North America derive from colorectal (25-50 %) and breast cancers (8-25 %). A major issue is the differential diagnosis of mucinous tumors. Major features favoring metastasis include bilaterality, size < 10 cm, ovarian surface involvement, extensive intra-abdominal spread, and infiltrative growth within the ovary involving the corpus albicans and corpora lutea. An algorithm using bilaterality and tumor size (cut-off 10 cm) allows correct categorization in approximately  85 % of the cases. Although immunohistochemistry (especially CK7 and CK20 in mucinous tumors) using a panel of antibodies plays a valuable role and is paramount in the diagnosis, the results must be interpreted with caution and within the relevant clinical and histopathological context. It is necessary to note that the correct diagnosis of ovarian metastases always needs interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches.

Serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed during ultrasound evaluation for fertility preservation

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women of reproductive age, and fertility preservation counseling is now an integral part of the initial management of these patients. This article reports the case of a 33-year-old woman diagnosed with breast cancer and referred for oncofertility counseling before her treatment. Despite a previous negative cancer workup, a transvaginal ultrasound scan, performed for antral follicle count as part of the initial ovarian reserve assessment, revealed a synchronous ovarian adenocarcinoma. A BRCA1 mutation was confirmed weeks later. This report highlights the role of transvaginal ultrasound in the initial evaluation and reviews the risks associated with fertility preservation in breast cancer patients.