Gonadoblastoma and Papillary Tubal Hyperplasia in Ovotesticular Disorder of Sexual Development

A multicenter analysis of individuals with a 47,XXY/46,XX karyotype

PURPOSE

Klinefelter syndrome, a sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA), is associated with a 47,XXY chromosomal complement and is diagnosed in ∼1:600 live male births. Individuals with a 46,XX cell line, in addition to 47,XXY, are less common with a limited number of published case reports.

METHODOLOGY

To better understand the implications of a 47,XXY/46,XX karyotype, we conducted a retrospective, multicenter analysis of the cytogenetic findings and associated clinical records of 34 patients diagnosed with this SCA across 14 institutions.

RESULTS

Presence of the XX cell line ranged from 5% to 98% in patient specimens. Phenotypes also exhibited significant heterogeneity with some reporting a single reason for referral and others presenting with a constellation of symptoms, including ambiguous genitalia and ovotestes. Ovotestes were present in 12% of individuals in this cohort, who had a significantly higher percentage of XX cells. Notably, 2 patients were assigned female sex at birth.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the variability of the clinical phenotypes associated with this SCA, as well as the challenges of clinical management for this population. Karyotype or fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, which offer single-cell resolution, rather than chromosomal microarray or molecular testing, is the ideal test strategy in these instances as mosaicism can occur at low levels.

A Rare Case of Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor: Dysgerminoma and Seminoma in the Same Patient

Ovarian malignant germ cell tumors (OMGCTs) represent a rare type of malignant tumors composed of primitive germ cells that often originate from dysgenetic gonads and are frequently associated with hermaphroditism. Such tumors occur more frequently in adolescents or young adults, and their etiopathogenic mechanism is not well established. We report the case of a 20-year-old female with ovarian dysgenesis and female phenotype. A laparoscopic surgery was performed, and ovotestis was discovered. To achieve a histopathological examination, right oophorectomy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of dysgerminoma. In the case of hermaphroditism, mixed germ cell tumors can develop, leading to a more aggressive evolution with bilateral malignancy of the gonads, which requires the removal of both ovotestis. The patient was recalled. A histopathological examination revealed a seminoma, so laparoscopic left oophorectomy was performed. The management of this type of diagnosis primarily involves surgery, minimally invasive interventions being preferred. Not all pathologic conditions are readily identifiable by means of exploratory laparoscopy, as in our patient’s case. We consider that the optimal solution for these patients would be the preservation of fertility via egg donation and embryo transfer; the survival rate of such patients being 97–100%, if the tumor is diagnosed at an early age.

Diagnosis and Management of Dysgerminomas with a Brief Summary of Primitive Germ Cell Tumors

Dysgerminoma represents a rare malignant tumor composed of germ cells, originally from the embryonic gonads. Regarding its incidence, we do not have precise data due to its rarity. Dysgerminoma occurs at a fertile age. The preferred treatment is the surgical removal of the tumor succeeded by the preservation of fertility. Even if a multidisciplinary team, founded in 2009 by a gynecologist, an oncologist, a pediatric oncologist and a pediatric surgeon, under the guidance of the Malignant Germ Cell International Consortium (MaGIC), studies this type of tumor, issues still remain related to the lack of a randomized study and to both the management and understanding of the concept of OMGCTs (ovarian malignant germ cell tumors). The aim of this review is to present from the literature the various approaches for this type of tumor, and, regarding innovative therapies or possible prevention, which can be applied in clinical practice. Multidisciplinarity and treatment in reference centers have proven their usefulness as well.

"Waking up" the sleeping metaphor of normality in connection to intersex or DSD: a scoping review of medical literature

The aim of the study is to encourage a critical debate on the use of normality in the medical literature on DSD or intersex. For this purpose, a scoping review was conducted to identify and map the various ways in which "normal" is used in the medical literature on DSD between 2016 and 2020. We identified 75 studies, many of which were case studies highlighting rare cases of DSD, others, mainly retrospective observational studies, focused on improving diagnosis or treatment. The most common use of the adjective normal was in association with phenotypic sex. Overall, appearance was the most commonly cited criteria to evaluate the normality of sex organs. More than 1/3 of the studies included also medical photographs of sex organs. This persistent use of normality in reference to phenotypic sex is worrisome given the long-term medicalization of intersex bodies in the name of a "normal" appearance or leading a "normal" life. Healthcare professionals should be more careful about the ethical implications of using photographs in publications given that many intersex persons describe their experience with medical photography as dehumanizing.

Consensus guide on prophylactic gonadectomy in different sex development

The risk of suffering from gonadal germ cell tumors (GCT) is increased in some patients with different sexual development (DSD), mainly in those with Y chromosome material. This risk, however, varies considerably depending on a multitude of factors that make the decision for prophylactic gonadectomy extremely difficult. In order to make informed recommendations on the convenience of this procedure in cases where there is potential for malignancy, this consensus guide evaluates the latest clinical evidence, which is generally low, and updates the existing knowledge in this field.

A practical guide for evaluating gonadal germ cell tumor predisposition in differences of sex development

Differences of Sex Development (DSD) includes a wide spectrum of etiologies and phenotypes. A subset of individuals with DSDs are predisposed to gonadal germ cell tumor (GCT). In this setting, GCT risk varies widely, depending on the DSD molecular etiology and penetrance. Prognostication based on molecular diagnosis remains challenging, as natural history data specific to recently identified molecular causes of DSD is lacking. In this review, we provide a framework for the clinical geneticist to consider GCT tumor risk in the patient with DSD. We discuss germ cell development and etiology of GCT growth, along with parameters to consider when recommending prophylactic gonadectomy including fertility, hormonal output, and malignant GTC treatment outcomes. Shortly after the 2006 reorganization of DSD nomenclature, literature reviews of natural history publications stratified GCT risk by a chromosomal, pathological, and hormonal taxonomy. Our 2017 literature review reveals a larger body of publications. However, the broad DSD GCT risk stratification within the 2006 taxonomy remains stable. We discuss precise GCT risk assessment for specific diagnoses, including androgen insensitivity, Smith-Lemli-Opitz, and 46,XY with MAP3K1 mutations and gonadal dysgenesis, as examples. We also examine the GCT risk in non-DSD syndromes, in addition to the cancer risks in DSD patients with dimorphic gonads and genitalia. This review is intended to provide a nuanced assessment of relative germ cell tumor risk in the DSD patient, including modern precise molecular diagnosis, for use by the clinical geneticist.