Ovarian Small Cell Carcinoma of Pulmonary Type Arising in Mature Cystic Teratomas With Metastases to the Contralateral Ovary

Endocrine tumors of the female reproductive tract

Endocrine cells responsible for hormone secretion are found in virtually every organ system. The diverse neoplasms arising from endocrine cells in the female reproductive tract are not well recognized as a distinct component of endocrine oncology. Here, we integrate cellular origins with native anatomical residence to help classify neoplasms of this system. The neoplasms include steroidogenic tumors that arise usually in ovarian stroma, neuroendocrine neoplasms that can arise from normal neuroendocrine cells throughout the female reproductive tract or in ovarian germ cell tumors, and thyroid follicular cell proliferations that are exclusively a component of an ovarian teratoma and may be malignant. The neuroendocrine neoplasms run the full spectrum from indolent neuroendocrine tumors to aggressive poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. While many of these lesions are identified as incidental findings in surgically resected tissues, others present with inappropriate hormone excess. An important consideration is the distinction of primary disease from metastatic malignancy. Genetic disorders including those caused by germline mutations of the FOXL2, GNAS, DICER1, STK11 and MEN1 genes can present with primary endocrine neoplasms of the female reproductive tract.

Prognosis comparison between small cell carcinoma of ovary and high-grade serous ovarian cancer: A retrospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Small cell carcinoma of ovary (SCCO) is a rare and aggressive cancer primarily reported in the form of case reports. Due to limited epidemiological and prognostic analyses based on large populations, SCCO has varied considerably without prognostic models and a recognized first-line treatment strategy. The study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of SCCO and high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), the most prevalent subtype of ovarian cancer, in a large sample and develop a predictive model for these two subtypes.

METHODS

Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program were analyzed for patients with SCCO or HGSOC from 2000 to 2017. Clinical, demographic, and treatment characteristics were compared between the two groups. Propensity-score matching, Cox risk regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to assess the data. Finally, a nomogram was developed to predict the patient survival time.

RESULTS

A total of 32,185 women, including 31,979 (99.4%) diagnosed with HGSOC and 206 (0.6%) diagnosed with SCCO, were identified. Age ≤ 51 years, single, median house income less than $70,000, early stage, and unilateral disease were more common characteristics of patients with SCCO than those with HGSOC. Patients with SCCO were more likely to receive radiotherapy (6.8% vs. 0.8%, p <0.001) and have tumors ≥ 141 mm (38.3% vs. 9.7%, p <0.001) than patients with HGSOC. The independent risk factors for SCCO patients included older age at diagnosis, advanced stage, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, larger tumor size, and bilateral tumor. Overall and cancer-specific survival rates were significantly lower for SCCO than more malignant HGSOC. Prognostic models and nomograms had been constructed to predict the individual survival rates of patients with SCCO and HGSOC.

CONCLUSION

Patients with SCCO presented with the early-stage disease more frequently than patients with HGSOC and had decreased overall and cancer-specific survival rates.

Neuroendocrine Neoplasia of the Female Genital Tract

Neuroendocrine neoplasia is relatively uncommon in the female genital tract (FGT) and occurs at any site, most often the ovary and cervix. A unified dichotomous nomenclature, introduced by the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors in all fifth edition volumes, divides neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) into well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). The term carcinoid tumor is retained in the ovary and represents the commonest FGT NEN. NEC is most common in the cervix and is usually admixed with another human papillomavirus-associated epithelial neoplasm. Despite shared neuroendocrine differentiation, NET and NEC show diverse etiology, morphology, and clinical behavior.

Germ Cell Tumors of the Female Genital Tract

Ovarian germ cell tumors are a histologically diverse group of neoplasms with a common origin in the primitive germ cell. The vast majority are represented by mature cystic teratoma. In the minority are malignant germ cell tumors including immature teratoma, dysgerminoma, yolk sac tumor, embryonal cell carcinoma, and choriocarcinoma. This article reviews the histologic and immunohistochemical features of the most common ovarian germ cell tumors. The differential diagnoses for each are discussed.

A case of ovarian clear cell carcinoma arising from ovarian mature cystic teratoma

Background

It is well known that ovarian mature cystic teratomas (MCTs) occasionally go through malignant transformations. Among these, approximately 75% of histological types are squamous cell carcinoma, with the other types being exceptionally rare. We report an extremely rare case of ovarian clear cell carcinoma arising from ovarian mature cystic teratoma.

Case presentation

The case was a 71-year-old woman with abdominal distention. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge mass in her abdominal cavity. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed FDG uptake not only in the pelvic tumor but also in the hepatic nodule, thus suggesting metastases. We performed a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and an omentectomy. The pathological diagnosis showed clear cell carcinoma of the right ovary which arose from the MCT with malignant transformation pT2aNXM1. Although the patient underwent chemotherapy, she died after 17 months.

Conclusion

This case is histologically characteristic of the proof of transition from simple squamous epithelium via simple glandular epithelium to papillary change with atypia. This is the first case report of unaccompanied clear cell carcinoma arising from MCT reported in English literatures.

Carcinoid Arising From the Teratomatous Bronchial Mucosa in a Mature Cystic Teratoma of the Ovary: A Case Report

Primary ovarian carcinoids are relatively uncommon, either pure (monodermal teratomas) or in association with mature cystic teratomas. Here we reported a unique case of carcinoid arising from the teratomatous bronchial mucosa in an ovarian mature cystic teratoma in a 22-year-old woman. This tumor showed a compact trabecular and nested growth pattern with salt-and-pepper chromatin pattern. Mitotic figures were identified (6/10 high power fields) and focal necrosis was present. Immunohistochemically the tumor cells were diffusely positive for TTF1 and CD56, focally positive for synaptophysin, and negative for chromogranin A and CDX2. Ki67 proliferation index was approximately 20% to 25%. This patient was alive with no evidence of disease at 3 years and 7 months after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of carcinoid arising from the teratomatous bronchial mucosa in an ovarian mature teratoma in the English literature.

Pathology of Neuroendocrine Tumours of the Female Genital Tract

Neuroendocrine tumours are uncommon or rare at all sites in the female genital tract. The 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) Classification of neuroendocrine tumours of the endometrium, cervix, vagina and vulva has been updated with adoption of the terms low-grade neuroendocrine tumour and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma. In the endometrium and cervix, high-grade neoplasms are much more prevalent than low-grade and are more common in the cervix than the corpus. In the ovary, low-grade tumours are more common than high-grade carcinomas and the term carcinoid tumour is still used in WHO 2014. The term ovarian small-cell carcinoma of pulmonary type is included in WHO 2014 for a tumour which in other organs is termed high small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Neuroendocrine tumours at various sites within the female genital tract often occur in association with other neoplasms and more uncommonly in pure form.

The Cytoreductive Effect of Radiotherapy for Small Cell Ovarian Carcinoma of the Pulmonary Type: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Small cell ovarian carcinoma of the pulmonary type is a rare and highly aggressive tumor for which a suitable treatment strategy has not been established. A 45-year-old woman presented with abdominal swelling, and primary ovarian carcinoma was suspected. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was small cell ovarian carcinoma of the pulmonary type. She also had complicated grade 1 endometrioid carcinoma of the uterine corpus. Three courses of cisplatin and etoposide therapy were administered as adjuvant chemotherapy. Because the tumor was chemotherapy resistant, she underwent palliative abdominal irradiation at a dose of 26 Gy in 13 fractions, which induced cytoreduction and provided symptomatic relief. She died 4 months after surgery. Lactate dehydrogenase was a useful tumor marker during treatment. Here, we present an extremely rare case of a patient with small cell ovarian carcinoma of the pulmonary type treated with radiotherapy after surgery and chemotherapy.

Primary small cell ovarian cancer of pulmonary type: A case report

Background

Primary small cell ovarian cancer of pulmonary type (SCCOPT) is a rare aggressive ovarian tumour with an incidence of <1%, usually occurring in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women and known to have a poor prognosis. Current treatment is platinum based but has not resulted in long term survival.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 77-year old Caucasian woman who presented initially with a one-week history of abdominal discomfort with raised inflammatory markers and Ca125 of 50 μ/ml. Calcium levels were normal. She underwent primary debulking surgery, and histology showed a tumour comprising areas of classical small-cell carcinoma morphology. 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin was offered. Relapsed/progressive disease was noted after 3 months of chemotherapy and patient died 7 months after treatment completion.

Conclusions

SCCOPT is a rare aggressive malignancy with majority of the women having an overall survival of 2 years. There is no clear consensus for the diagnosis and optimal treatment.

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SCCOPT is a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer.

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Preoperative diagnosis is difficult as women present mainly with complex ovarian mass.

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Overall survival is poor despite complete debulking surgery and chemotherapy.

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Histological features are similar to those of pulmonary small cell carcinoma.

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Management usually relied upon by published case reports.

Mixed Neuroendocrine-Nonneuroendocrine Neoplasms (MiNENs): Unifying the Concept of a Heterogeneous Group of Neoplasms

The wide application of immunohistochemistry to the study of tumors has led to the recognition that epithelial neoplasms composed of both a neuroendocrine and nonneuroendocrine component are not as rare as traditionally believed. It has been recommended that mixed neuroendocrine-nonneuroendocrine epithelial neoplasms are classified as only those in which either component represents at least 30 % of the lesion but this cutoff has not been universally accepted. Moreover, since their pathogenetic and clinical features are still unclear, mixed neuroendocrine-nonneuroendocrine epithelial neoplasms are not included as a separate clinicopathological entity in most WHO classifications, although they have been observed in virtually all organs. In the WHO classification of digestive tumors, mixed neuroendocrine-nonneuroendocrine neoplasm is considered a specific type and is defined as mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma, a definition that has not been accepted for other organs. In fact, this term does not adequately convey the morphological and biological heterogeneity of digestive mixed neoplasms and has created some misunderstanding among both pathologists and clinicians. In the present study, we have reviewed the literature on mixed neuroendocrine-nonneuroendocrine epithelial neoplasms reported in the pituitary, thyroid, nasal cavity, larynx, lung, digestive system, urinary system, male and female genital organs, and skin to give the reader an overview of the most important clinicopathological features and morphological criteria for diagnosing each entity. We also propose to use the term "mixed neuroendocrine-nonneuroendocrine neoplasm (MiNEN)" to define and to unify the concept of this heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which show different characteristics mainly depending on the type of neuroendocrine and nonneuroendocrine components.

Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Female Reproductive Tract: A Literature Review

Neuroendocrine tumors of the female reproductive tract are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that display various histologic findings and biologic behaviors. In this review, the classification and clinicopathologic characteristics of neuroendocrine tumors of the female reproductive tract are described. Differential diagnoses are discussed, especially for non-neuroendocrine tumors showing high-grade nuclei with neuroendocrine differentiation. This review also discusses recent advances in our pathogenetic understanding of these disorders.