RESUMO
The aim of this study is evaluation of clinical and histopathologic characteristics of patients with orarian germ cell tumors. In this descriptive retrospective study we analysed 40 records of patients [<20 years] with ovarian germ cell tumor. The patients admitted and operated upon in Imam Reza Hospital Mashhad from March 1981 to March 2001 [20 year period] Archival slides of all tumors were reviewed and tumors were classified according to the WHO system. All of our patients were under 20 years with median age of 15.3 years, and the youngest was 13 month old. The prevalence of germ cell tumors [GCT] was 50.2% [40/79] of all ovarian neoplasms. From 40 patients with GCT, 26 cases [65%] were benign and 14 [35%] were malignant. Mature cystic teratoma was the commonest neoplasm [26 patients]. Of 14 children with malignant GCT 9 [22.5%] had pure dysgerminoma, 3 [7.5%] had endodermal sinus tumor, and two [5%] had mixd malignant G.C.T. Unilateral involvment was seen in 38 cases [51.7% in right and 41.3% in left] and bilateral in-two. Weight range of neoplastic ovarian lesion, were 15 [in endodermal sinus tumor] to 4200 gram [in mature treatoma]. Tumoral torsion accounted for 2.5% [1 case] of our patients. Germ cell tumors are the most common ovarian neoplasms seen in the pediatric and adolescent age groups. Mature cystic teratoma and dysgerminoma are respectivly the most common benign and malignant G.C.T. Most patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumor are in their reproductive years and wish to preserve fertility