Coexistence of benign struma ovarii, pseudo-Meigs' syndrome and elevated serum CA 125: Case report and review of the literature

Struma ovarii with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: case report and review of the literature

Background

Struma ovarii, a rare ovarian neoplasm originating from germ cells within mature teratomas, typically manifests benign characteristics. However, instances of malignant transformation have been documented.

Case description

This report discusses a 25-year-old woman who had surgery in May 2020 to remove teratomas from both ovaries. In 2023, an ultrasound showed a complex mass in her pelvis. Further imaging tests, including CT, MRI, and F-18 FDG PET/CT scans, along with high levels of the CA 125 protein, suggested a mass in her left ovary, initially thought to be ovarian cancer. However, a closer examination after surgery found thyroid tissue and several types of cell growth but no cancer, confirming the diagnosis of struma ovarii. The pathology of hypermetabolic thyroid nodules on F-18 FDG PET/CT confirmed Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Conclusion

This case underscores the importance of considering struma ovarii in the differential diagnosis of ovarian masses, especially in patients with a history of teratomas. It highlights the challenges in distinguishing struma ovarii from ovarian cancer due to similar clinical signs and imaging. Struma ovarii can be associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Meigs Syndrome and Elevated CA-125: Case Report and Literature Review of an Unusual Presentation Mimicking Ovarian Cancer

Background and Objectives: Meigs syndrome is represented by a benign adnexal tumor, ascites, and hydrothorax. Even though the ovarian mass is often characterized by a fibroma-like origin, cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) serum levels could be elevated as in the development of ovarian cancer. Here, we present the case of a patient with Meigs syndrome and increased CA-125. Materials and Methods: We performed systematic research for articles including similar cases in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus in February 2023, adopting the string of idioms: "Meigs syndrome AND Cancer antigen 125", and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: Eligible records were 25. Hydrothorax was right-sided in 10 cases over 25; left-sided in two patients over 25. Concerning ascites, two patients showed more than 6 L of ascitic fluid, whereas three patients had 6 L or less. CA-125 elevation ranged from 149 IU/mL to 3803 IU/mL. Adnexal mass histotypes were: struma ovarii (12 cases), thecomas (two cases), fibrothecomas (five cases), fibromas (five cases), and one sclerosing stromal tumor (SST). Conclusions: In postmenopausal women with elevated CA-125 serum levels and an adnexal mass suspicious for malignancy at ultrasound (US), ascites and pleural effusion, surgery, and histopathological examination are necessary. MS is a diagnostic option, with an excellent prognosis after exeresis of the mass.

Struma ovarii with synchronous ascites and elevated CA125 level: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Benign struma ovarii (SO) with synchronous ascites and elevated CA125 level is extremely rare that the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors remain unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of patients with SO treated in our hospital between 1980 and 2022. Logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors for SO patients presenting with ascites and elevated CA125 levels. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the identified risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients with synchronous ascites and elevated CA125 levels were identified in 229 patients with SO, the crude incidence rate was 9.17%, and four patients (1.75%) had pseudo-Meigs' syndrome. Ascites were completely involuted within 1 month postoperatively and the serum CA125 level decreased to normal between 3 d and 6 weeks after surgery. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age ≥49 years (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.29 - 10.64, p = 0.015), tumor size ≥10.0 cm (OR 8.79, 95% CI 3.05 - 25.35, p < 0.001), and proliferative SO (OR 11.16, 95% CI 3.01 - 41.47, p < 0.001) were the independent risk factors for patients presenting ascites and elevated CA 125 level. The ROC curve revealed that the predictive performance for age and tumor size was unsatisfactory with an area under the curve (AUC) was 0.646 and 0.682, respectively. Linear regression demonstrated that the serum CA125 level has a moderate positive correlation with the volume of ascites (log2CA125 = 0.6272*log2ascites + 2.099, p = 0.0001, R2 = 0.5576).

CONCLUSIONS

Less than one-tenth of patients with SO would present ascites and elevated CA125 levels, while age ≥49 years, tumor sizes ≥10 cm, and the presence of proliferative SO were the risk factors.

A case of Pseudo-Meigs' syndrome due to Brenner tumor

A 65-year-old woman with suspected ascites-associated abdominal distention had elevated CA125 levels. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography to search for the cause of the ascites showed bilateral pleural effusions, ascites, and an ovarian tumor. On magnetic resonance imaging the tumor exhibited a lobulated structure and markedly low signal intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted imaging, with no restrictions on diffusion-weighted images. Progressive enhancement was observed at tumor margins. Meigs syndrome due to fibroma was suspected, and total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and partial omentectomy were performed. Postoperatively, the pleural effusion and ascites resolved promptly without specific treatment. On pathological examination, the ovarian tumor was diagnosed as a benign Brenner tumor with scattered nests of transitional epithelium within a large amount of stroma. Based on the clinical course, the patient was diagnosed with pseudo-Meigs' syndrome due to a Brenner tumor.

Giant struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs’syndrome and raised cancer antigen-125 levels: A case report

BACKGROUND

Struma ovarii is a type of monodermal mature teratoma composed entirely or mainly of thyroid tissue, accounting for 1% to 3% of all ovarian teratomas and 0.3% to 1.0% of all ovarian tumors. Of which, struma ovarii with ascites and pleural effusion, called pseudo-Meigs’syndrome and raised cancer antigen-125 levels (CA 125) is even rarer.

CASE SUMMARY

This paper reports the diagnosis and treatment of a patient of struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs’syndrome, presenting with the clinical features of ovarian carcinoma: Complex pelvic mass, gross ascites, right pleural effusion and markedly elevated serum CA 125 levels. During the operation, a cystic-solid mass about 20 cm × 10 cm × 5 cm in the right adnexa and a solid mass with the size of 3 cm × 2 cm × 0.1 cm in the left ovary were observed. She underwent right adnexectomy and resection of the left ovarian mass and histopathology revealed a mature left-sided ovarian teratoma and struma ovarii of right adnexal mass. During 1-year follow-up, the patient recovered well, tumor markers and other indicators returned to normal.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis and treatment process of this case suggests that the clinical symptoms of struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs’syndrome are lack specificity, which is easily misdiagnosed. Clinicians should improve the understanding of this disease, enhance the awareness of early screening, and improve the level of diagnosis and treatment.

Struma Ovarii Associated with Ascites and Elevated CA125: Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Struma ovarii is a rare variety of specialized monodermal mature ovarian teratoma, it is composed predominantly of thyroid tissue. Ascites is present in one third of patients. The combination of struma ovarii, marked ascites and elevated CA125 is a rare condition, which may mimic ovarian cancer. We described two cases presenting with pelvic mass, ascites and elevated serum CA125 levels, frozen section and final pathology turned out to be struma ovarii. Ascites disappeared and the level of CA125 returned to normal level after operation. One of the cases was associated with pleural effusion, leading to a condition called pseudo-Meigs' syndrome. Then we reviewed the related literatures to explore the possible mechanism of ascites and pleural effusion, the reason of CA125 elevation and imaging manifestations of struma ovarii. In conclusion, struma ovarii should be considered in the differential diagnosis preoperatively, when presented with pelvic mass, ascites and an elevated CA125 level.

Management of malignant struma ovarii: is aggressive therapy justified? Case report and literature review

Background

Struma ovarii (SO) is a rare ovarian teratoma containing predominantly thyroid tissue. In rare situations SO may develop malignancy. Most cases of malignant struma ovarii (MSO) are diagnosed after surgical removal, based on histopathological examination. There are still controversies regarding the extent of surgery and postoperative management in MSO, due to its unpredictable behavior, possible risk of metastasis and relatively high rate of recurrence.

Case Presentation

We present the case of a patient diagnosed with a right ovarian cyst discovered incidentally during routine ultrasound examination. Its rapid growth and pelvic MRI raised the suspicion of a neoplastic process. She underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy. The anatomopathological diagnosis was MSO with follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Prophylactic total thyroidectomy was performed, followed by radioactive iodine ablation (RAI), and suppressive therapy with levothyroxine. At 1 year follow-up, the patient was disease free.

Conclusions

Even if latest literature reports consider that completion of local surgery with total thyroidectomy and RAI might be too aggressive in cases of MSO without extraovarian extension, in our case it was decided to follow the protocol for primary thyroid carcinoma, in order to reduce the recurrence risk.

Pseudo-Meigs Syndrome Caused by a Giant Uterine Leiomyoma with Cystic Degeneration: A Case Report

Pseudo-Meigs syndrome is defined as secondary accumulation of ascites and hydrothorax associated with a pelvic tumor other than benign ovarian tumors such as fibroma, which usually resolve after surgical removal of the tumor. Here we report a case of pseudo-Meigs syndrome caused by a giant uterine leiomyoma, which was initially suspected to be ovarian cancer. A 37-year-old nulliparous woman presented with a 5-month history of abdominal distension and anorexia. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a giant cystic lesion and solid mass in the peritoneal cavity, along with plentiful ascites. Chest X-ray images showed a small pleural effusion on the right side. The patient was referred to our hospital for treatment of suspected ovarian cancer and peritonitis carcinomatosis. Although serum CA125 level was elevated (up to 331.8 U/mL), magnetic resonance imaging showed a giant sub-serosal uterine leiomyoma with cystic degeneration (27 × 15 × 13 cm). A small dermoid cyst was also detected in the right ovary. Ascites was drained and the patient underwent myomectomy and ovarian cystectomy. The patient had a degenerated leiomyoma with no pathological evidence of malignancy. Because symptoms disappeared postoperatively and serum CA125 returned to normal, without recurrence of ascites, pseudo-Meigs syndrome was diagnosed.

[Thyroid carcinoma on struma ovarii: Diagnosis and treatment]

Thyroid carcinoma on struma ovarii (TCSO) is a rare ovarian tumour, derivate from monodermic teratomas. It represents about 0.01% of overall ovarian tumours and 5 to 10% of struma ovarii. The diagnosis is histologic and retrospective after pelvic surgery; radiographic imaging being unspecific. Because of its rarity, the treatment of TCSO is not consensual and should be validated in multidisciplinary team involved in rare ovarian carcinoma. The first treatment is a surgical removal, with a laparoscopic approach. A fertility-conservative surgery is recommended for young women. If the tumour is unresectable and/or with metastatic spread, an adjuvant iodine 131 treatment might be proposed after thyroidectomy. Recurrence of TCSO should be taken care of as a thyroid carcinoma with tyrosine kinase inhibitor in case of progressive distant relapse, refractory to iodine 131 treatment. If the recurrence is localised, a complete surgery is the preferred option. There is no gold standard for the follow up.

Precise preoperative diagnosis of struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs' syndrome mimicking ovarian cancer with the combination of 131I scintigraphy and 18F-FDG PET: case report and review of the literature

Background

Struma ovarii is a rare ovarian neoplasm that often appears malignant on conventional imaging. Pseudo-Meigs’ syndrome with ascites, pleural effusion, and elevated serum CA 125 levels is much rarer and leads to misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer and unnecessary extended surgery.

Case presentation

A 50-year-old woman with abdominal distention and dyspnoea was referred to our hospital. Ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a polycystic ovarian tumor with a solid component, pleural effusion, and massive ascites with negative cytology. Her serum CA 125 level was 1237 U/ml, indicating the presence of ovarian cancer. Based on increased uptake of ¹³¹I but no uptake of ¹⁸F–FDG in the tumor, the preoperative diagnosis was struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs’ syndrome, which was confirmed histologically. She had no evidence of ascites and pleural effusion six months after surgery.

Conclusions

To date, there have been no systematic reviews focused on preoperative diagnosis with imaging modalities. The combination of ¹³¹I scintigraphy and ¹⁸F–FDG PET/CT in addition to conventional imaging modalities can provide the precise preoperative diagnosis of struma ovarii with pseudo-Meigs’ syndrome mimicking ovarian cancer, leading to the appropriate treatment strategy.

[Benign struma ovarii: Report of 7 cases and review of the literature]

OBJECTIVE

Struma ovarii is a monodermal teratoma composed of thyroid tissue, representing 0.85 to 1.3% of ovarian tumors. The objective of the present study is to report a continuous series of struma ovarii, with a comprehensive analysis of the literature.

METHODS

A retrospective study in the gynecological surgery department of Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant (Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France) assessed a continuous series of struma ovarii from the Lyon East Pathology Center database. Clinical and biological, imaging and pathological aspects were analyzed and the various forms of treatment described.

RESULTS

We identified 7 patients with struma ovarii from March 2008 to April 2015. Mean patient age was 49.7 years (28-70years). Three patients had a history of thyroid disease. CA-125 was elevated (51IU/mL) in only 1 patient. MRI and ultrasound imaging did not enable diagnosis of struma ovarii, which depended on pathologic examination. Conservative surgery for cystectomy or oophorectomy was performed for patients wishing to become pregnant (71%); nonconservative hysterectomy was performed in postmenopausal women (29%).

CONCLUSIONS

Struma ovarii is a rare, often asymptomatic condition in which diagnosis is difficult. Few series are described in the literature. Here we propose a management model for struma ovarii. Revision surgery and adjuvant therapy is indicated in case of malignant struma ovarii.