Primary ovarian choriocarcinoma mimicking ectopic pregnancy

Nongestational ovarian choriocarcinoma with bilateral teratoma: A rare case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Trophoblastic neoplasms are often associated with pregnancy, and nongestational trophoblastic neoplasms are extremely rare. Nongestational ovarian choriocarcinoma (NGCO) is a highly aggressive germ cell-derived tumor frequently presenting with early hematogenous metastasis.

PATIENT CONCERNS

Herein, we report a case of a 28-year-old unmarried woman with regular menstruation who experienced vaginal bleeding 1 week after her last menstrual cycle. Doppler ultrasound revealed bilateral adnexal masses and elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. The patient was initially misdiagnosed as presenting an ectopic pregnancy.

DIAGNOSIS

The final pathology confirmed an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IA NGCO with bilateral mature teratoma of the ovary. This is an extraordinary instance of ovarian choriocarcinoma which emerged without any prior gestation, and the patient's lack of a history of pregnancy made the diagnosis ignored.

INTERVENTIONS

After initial surgery and 1 cycle of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy, a laparoscopic fertility-preserving comprehensive staging surgery was performed. Two cycles of chemotherapy with BEP were administered as supplemental therapy postsurgery, and leuprorelin was administered to protect ovarian function.

OUTCOMES

Menstruation resumed 4 months after chemotherapy completion, and tumor indicators were within the normal range. No signs of recurrence were observed at the 36-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

NGCO should be considered if a female patient exhibits irregular vaginal bleeding and masses in the adnexal area. The present case and our literature review also highlighted that fertility-sparing surgery and multidrug chemotherapy are effective methods for treating NGCO.

Ultra-High-Risk Gestational Choriocarcinoma of the Ovary Associated with Ectopic Pregnancy

Gestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary is an exceptionally rare and highly aggressive tumor. Preoperative diagnosis of extrauterine choriocarcinoma is difficult due to nonspecific clinical presentation and its resemblance to ectopic pregnancy. Without molecular genetic analysis, it is not possible to reliably differentiate gestational from non-gestational choriocarcinoma. Here, we present a case of a 44-year-old woman who presented to our emergency department with complaints of pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, and amenorrhea. Because of a recent history of conservatively managed ectopic pregnancy, the patient underwent emergency laparoscopy. Right-sided salpingo-oophorectomy was performed due to intraoperatively suspected ovarian ectopic pregnancy. Histopathology results revealed the diagnosis of ovarian choriocarcinoma of possible gestational origin. It was classified as FIGO stage IV and WHO ultra-high-risk, and she underwent multi-agent chemotherapy without major complications. She has remained in complete remission after a 12-month follow-up. Considering the rarity of this diagnosis, we conducted a literature review including all published cases of suspected gestational choriocarcinomas of the ovary. We conclude that due to the rarity of this entity, preoperative differentiating between ovarian ectopic pregnancy and ovarian choriocarcinoma is extremely challenging, and without molecular genetic analysis, it is not possible to identify the genetic origin of the tumor.

Germ Cell Tumors of the Ovary: A Review

Ovarian germ cell tumors are a diverse group of benign and malignant neoplasms that occur in a wide age range, but with a predilection for younger age group. The majority are represented by the frequently encountered mature cystic teratomas. Malignant germ cell tumors are uncommon, and in some cases have a characteristic clinical presentation. However, from a histologic standpoint these tumors can sometimes be challenging to diagnose due to overlapping morphology with epithelial, and in some cases sex cord tumors. In these cases, a panel of immunohistochemical stains often facilitates the correct diagnosis. This review article discusses the clinicopathologic findings and pertinent ancillary studies of both common and uncommon germ cell tumors of the ovary.

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.

Non-Gestational Ovarian Choriocarcinoma: A Rare Ovarian Cancer Subtype

Non-Gestational Ovarian Choriocarcinoma (NGOC) is an extremely rare ovarian tumor, with an incidence of less than 0.6% of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors. Its close pathologic resemblance to Gestational Ovarian Choriocarcinoma (GOC), however, requires special attention as the treatments differ greatly. NGOC typically affects patients in late adolescence or early reproductive years. As a result, NGOCs are often misdiagnosed as ectopic pregnancies due to their common presentation of bleeding, abdominal pain, adnexal mass, and positive serum beta-HCG. On pathologic examination, the tumor is indistinguishable from GOC, and only after review of tissue for paternal genetic components can the diagnosis of NGOC be made. Imaging studies often show highly vascular lesions with further investigation with computer topography (CT) sometimes showing metastatic lesions in the lungs, pelvis, vagina, and liver. These lesions are often hemorrhagic and can lead to catastrophic bleeding. Treatment is vastly different from GOC; NGOC requires treatment with both surgical resection and chemotherapy, with Bleomycin, Etoposide, and Cisplatin (BEP) being the most used regimen. With correct diagnosis and treatment, patients can often receive fertility sparing treatment with long term survival.

Ovarian ectopic pregnancy misdiagnosed as gestational choriocarcinoma: A case report

Introduction

and importance: Choriocarcinoma is a highly malignant epithelial tumor with often distant metastasis. The clinical presentation of choriocarcinoma depends upon extend of disease and location of metastasis.

Case presentation

A 35-year-old multiparous woman was presented with severe pelvic pain, fatigue and cough. She was diagnosed with positive pregnancy due to elevated B-hCG and hyperechoic mass in right adnexa.

Clinical discussion

Exploration surgery showed a larger mass on the right ovary. She was diagnosed with choriocarcinoma however CT scan showed metastasis of lungs, brain and pelvis. She underwent multiple session of chemotherapy, nonetheless, after 8 months, she passed away.

Conclusion

Timely diagnosis and prompt treatment of choriocarcinoma is necessary to prevent mortality and bad prognosis. It should be differentially diagnosed with all the types of pregnancies.

•

Choriocarcinoma is a highly malignant epithelial tumor with often distant metastasis.

•

A 35-year-old multiparous woman was presented with severe pelvic pain, fatigue and cough.

•

She was diagnosed with positive pregnancy due to elevated B-hCG and hyperechoic mass in right adnexa.

•

Timely diagnosis and prompt treatment of choriocarcinoma is necessary to prevent mortality and bad prognosis.

Pure primary non-gestational choriocarcinoma originating in the ovary: A case report and literature review

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma (NGCO) of the ovary is rare, with a prevalence of less than 0.6% of all ovarian germ-cell tumors; and when found with other germ cell tumors, pure NGCO is exceedingly rare. We herein report the case of a 22-year-old woman who complained of menstrual disorders for over 2 months. MRI examination revealed an 11.4 cm right adnexal mass of the uterus, and the patients manifested an elevated serum level of β-hCG of 77,928 mIU/ml. Fertility-preserving surgery was performed, and the pathologic diagnosis was pure NGCO; immunohistochemical staining showed cancer cells that were positive for β-hCG, CK, hPL, SALL4, and Ki-67 (>80% of cells stained). We performed polymorphic DNA analysis and non-gestational origin was confirmed. The patient was then treated with six courses of chemotherapy with a BEP regimen, after which her serum β-hCG levels declined to normal levels, and she was free of disease at the 30-month follow-up.

Primary Ovarian Choriocarcinoma: Rare Entity

Background

Primary pure ovarian choriocarcinoma is a rare aggressive tumor which can be nongestational arising from germ cells or gestational origin. Preoperative diagnosis of extrauterine choriocarcinoma is challenging due to nonspecific clinical presentation. Case Presentation. This article reports primary ovarian choriocarcinoma, likely gestational in a 25-year-old para 2 woman presenting with lower abdominal pain and swelling of two-week duration. Diagnosis was suspected by serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and confirmed histologically after surgery. Postoperatively, she was managed with multiple courses of chemotherapy using a bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin regimen, and the treatment was effective.

Conclusion

In patients with adnexal mass presenting with nonspecific symptoms especially with high Doppler blood flow of the mass on ultrasound evaluation, serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin determination is recommended before laparotomy. In setups where the genomic test is not available, histological and clinical effort to differentiate gestational versus nongestational choriocarcinoma is useful for specific management decision.

Imaging in gynecological disease (22): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of ovarian embryonal carcinomas, non-gestational choriocarcinomas and malignant mixed germ cell tumors

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of three types of rare malignant ovarian germ cell tumor: embryonal carcinoma, non-gestational choriocarcinoma and malignant mixed germ cell tumor.

METHODS

This was a retrospective multicenter study. From the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) database, we identified patients with a histological diagnosis of ovarian embryonal carcinoma, non-gestational choriocarcinoma or malignant mixed germ cell tumor, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced ultrasound examiner between 2000 and 2020. Additional patients with the same histology were identified from the databases of the departments of gynecological oncology in the participating centers. All tumors were described using IOTA terminology. Three examiners reviewed all available ultrasound images and described them using pattern recognition.

RESULTS

One patient with embryonal carcinoma, five patients with non-gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma and seven patients with ovarian malignant mixed germ cell tumor (six primary tumors and one recurrence) were identified. Seven patients were included in the IOTA studies and six patients were examined outside of the IOTA studies. The median age at diagnosis was 26 (range, 14-77) years. Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels were highest in non-gestational choriocarcinomas and alpha-fetoprotein levels were highest in malignant mixed germ cell tumors. Most tumors were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage I (9/12 (75.0%)). All tumors were unilateral, and the median largest diameter was 129 (range, 38-216) mm. Of the tumors, 11/13 (84.6%) were solid and 2/13 (15.4%) were multilocular-solid; 9/13 (69.2%) manifested abundant vascularization on color Doppler examination. Using pattern recognition, the typical ultrasound appearance was a large solid tumor with inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid tissue and often dispersed cysts which, in most cases, were small and irregular. Some tumors had smooth contours while others had irregular contours.

CONCLUSIONS

A unilateral, large solid tumor with inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid tissue and with dispersed small cystic areas in a young woman should raise the suspicion of a rare malignant germ cell tumor. This suspicion can guide the clinician to test tumor markers specific for malignant germ cell tumors. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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 gestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed by DNA polymorphic analysis: a case report and systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Choriocarcinoma of the ovary is rare. This tumor can arise from gestational tissue or pure germ cells of the ovary, the former results in gestational choriocarcinoma. The clinical characteristics and histology of both tumor types are identical, differentiation of these tumors is necessary for effective treatment. One strategy for the differentiation of these tumors types is to identify the presence of paternal DNA by DNA polymorphic analysis.

CASE PRESENTATION

In the present case, a 27-year-old patient with a history of amenorrhea, lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding received a laparoscopic dissection of cystic mass of the right ovary according to an initial diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. Primary choriocarcinoma of the ovary was diagnosed by pathology, but its origin was uncertain. DNA polymorphic analysis was then performed and a gestational origin was confirmed. The patient subsequently exhibited an excellent response to chemotherapy, achieved complete remission and gave birth to a healthy baby.

CONCLUSION

Differentiation between two etiologies of primary choriocarcinoma can be achieved with DNA polymorphic analysis and it is necessary to distinguish between them to approach to an appropriate treatment of a patient.

Management of bilateral malignant ovarian germ cell tumors: Experience of a single institute

Bilateral malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) are rare. Determination of the optimal treatment modalities is crucial, as these malignancies mainly affect girls and young women who may wish to preserve their fertility. In order to review the prevalence, clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of bilateral MOGCTs, we performed a retrospective review of patients who were diagnosed with bilateral MOGCTs and underwent primary surgery at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between January, 2001 and December, 2014. Of the 130 patients investigated, 8 were diagnosed with bilateral disease, most of whom were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I. There was no significant difference in overall and disease-free survival between patients with unilateral and those with bilateral disease. Cases with dysgerminoma, dysgerminoma coexisting with gonadoblastoma, yolk sac tumor and ovarian primary choriocarcinoma were included in this study. Fertility was spared in 2 patients (1 with dysgerminoma and 1 with ovarian primary choriocarcinoma). The patient with ovarian choriocarcinoma experienced relapse and was finally salvaged by radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. According to our results and the published data, patients affected by bilateral MOGCTs have a satisfactory prognosis. The treatment modalities largely depend on the histological type of the tumor. Fertility-sparing surgery may be safe for patients affected by dysgerminoma, but should be considered with caution in patients with ovarian primary choriocarcinoma.

Clinicopathological analysis of non-gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma: Report of two cases and review of the literature

The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinicopathological features of two cases of non-gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma (NGCO). The histopathological, immunohistochemical and clinical features of two cases of NGCO in the left ovaries of two 13 year-old female patients were investigated and the relevant literature was reviewed. In both cases, the tumor masses exhibited cribriform, papillary and nested cellular growth patterns, and hemorrhage and necrosis were evident. In case one, the patient also exhibited a sex cord tumor with annular tubules (SCTAT) in the right ovary. To the best of our knowledge, the synchronous occurrence of these two tumor types has not been reported previously. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells of choriocarcinoma in both cases were positive for human chorionic gonadotropin and cytokeratin, while those of SCTAT were positive for CD56 and CD99. NGCO is an extremely rare germ cell tumor of high-grade malignancy, and STCAT is even rarer. Early metastasis of NGCO is common and the disease has a poor prognosis. In the present study, one patient succumbed within 4 months of diagnosis with NGCO and the other patient was lost to follow-up after 12 months.