Cellular fibroma of the ovary with multiloculated macroscopic characteristics: case report

Recurrent postmenopausal bleeding - just endometrial disease or ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor? A case report

BACKGROUND

Postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) is a common gynecologic complaint among elderly women, and endometrial hyperplasia is a common cause of this bleeding. Ovarian fibromas are the most common type of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor (SCST). They arise from non-functioning stroma, rarely show estrogenic activity, and stimulate endometrial hyperplasia, causing abnormal vaginal bleeding.

CASE SUMMARY

We report herein the case of a 64-year-old Chinese woman who presented with recurrent PMB. A sex hormone test revealed that her estrogen level was significantly higher than normal, and other causes of hyperestrogenism had been excluded. The patient had undergone four curettage and hysteroscopy procedures in the past 7 years due to recurrent PMB and endometrial hyperplasia. The culprit behind the increase in estrogen level—an ovarian cellular fibroma with estrogenic activity—was eventually found during the fifth operation.

CONCLUSION

Ovarian cellular fibromas occur insidiously, and some may have endocrine functions. Postmenopausal patients with recurrent PMB and endometrial thickening observed on ultrasonography are recommended to undergo sex hormone testing while waiting for results regarding the pathology of the endometrium. If the estrogen level remains elevated, the clinician should consider the possibility of an ovarian SCST and follow-up the patient closely, even if the imaging results do not indicate ovarian tumors. Once the tumor is found, it should be removed as soon as possible no matter the size to avoid endometrial lesions due to long-term estrogen stimulation. More studies are needed to confirm whether preventive total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy should be recommended for women with recurrent PMB exhibiting elevated estrogen levels, despite the auxiliary examination results not indicating ovarian mass. The physical and psychological burden caused by repeated curettage could be prevented using this technique.

Cellular Fibroma of Ovary Coexisting with Proliferative Endometrium Post Menopause: A Rare Presentation

Ovarian fibromas are benign sex cord stromal tumours occurring in peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women. These tumours are composed of spindle fibroblastic cells producing collagen. They are almost always endocrine-inert and are rarely associated with hormone production. We report herein a case of a 60-year-old Indian woman presenting as post-menopausal bleeding. Imaging studies and endometrial biopsy revealed a right ovarian solid tumour coexisting with thickened proliferative endometrium, other causes of hyperoestrogenism being excluded in the woman. She underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Histopathology showed cellular fibroma of right ovary and proliferative endometrium with foci of hyperplasia without atypia.

Hypoxia is important in F‑18 FDG accumulation in thecoma‑fibroma tumors on F‑18 FDG PET/CT scans

Several studies have noted benign thecoma-fibroma tumors with positive F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation mimicking malignant ovarian tumors following F-18 FDG positron emission tomography (PET). The present study analyzed four cases with false-positive F-18 FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) diagnoses of thecoma-fibroma tumors as malignant tumors due to F-18 FDG accumulation, compared with eight cases of FDG-positive ovarian cancers and two cases of FDG-negative fibromas. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression was examined in the six thecoma-fibroma tumors using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The four F-18 FDG-positive cases exhibited higher cellularity, maximum standard uptake and signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging, and gadolinium (Gd) enhancement using magnetic resonance imaging than the two FDG-negative fibroma cases. In the F-18 FDG-positive thecoma-fibroma group, Ki-67 expression was low and LAT1 expression was not identified, ruling out the diagnosis and potential for malignancy. However, considerable glucose transporter 1, HIF-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression was observed. HIF-1α expression was elevated in all four false-positive cases by RT-PCR. From these results, it was hypothesized that hypoxia due to elevated cellularity may stimulate HIF-1α expression and be associated with F-18 FDG accumulation in F-18-positive thecoma-fibroma tumors.