Leydig Cell Tumour and Mature Ovarian Teratoma: Rare Androgen-Secreting Ovarian Tumours in Postmenopausal Women

• Autor(a) principal: Palha, A
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Cortez, L, Tavares, AP, Agapito, A
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.17/2636
• topic: Aged; Androgens/blood; Female; Humans; Leydig Cell Tumor/complications; Ovarian Neoplasms/complications; Ovariectomy; Postmenopause; Teratoma/complications; Virilism/etiology; Androgens/secretion; Leydig Cell Tumor/secretion; Leydig Cell Tumor/surgery; Ovarian Neoplasms/secretion; Ovarian Neoplasms/surgery; Teratoma/surgery; Teratoma/secretion; CHLC END; CHLC CIR

Androgen-secreting ovarian tumours are extremely rare accounting for <5% of all ovarian neoplasms. They are more frequent in postmenopausal women and should be suspected in the case of a rapid onset of androgenic symptoms. We report 4 cases of postmenopausal women who presented with signs of virilisation. All patients revealed increased serum levels of testosterone, normal dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and negative pelvic ultrasound for adnexal masses. An androgen-secreting ovarian tumour was suspected and all of them were submitted to bilateral oophorectomy. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of Leydig cell tumours in 3 patients and mature teratoma in 1. A successful response to surgery, which includes a decline in serum androgen levels and signs of hyperandrogenism, was observed in our patients. This case series demonstrates that androgen-secreting ovarian neoplasms may not be detectable by imaging studies, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all postmenopausal women with signs of hyperandrogenism.