Primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma: a case report.

Primary ovarian sarcoma is a rare malignancy, with primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma being even rarer because of the lack of smooth muscle in the ovaries. We herein report a case of primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma in a woman in her late 50s who presented with a 6-month history of abdominal pain. Imaging revealed a pelvic mass. The patient underwent surgery and was diagnosed with ovarian leiomyosarcoma. One month postoperatively, she began gemcitabine and docetaxel chemotherapy and continued this treatment for 6 months. Eight months postoperatively, however, recurrence was detected in the pelvic cavity. This case is reported with the aim of raising awareness about this rare disease.

Diagnostic Complexity and Long-Term Management of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Mimicking Ovarian Origin: A Case Report.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors occurring in the gastrointestinal tract particularly the stomach or small intestine originating from interstitial cells of Cajal. This case report describes a 50-year-old postmenopausal female presenting with a gradually increasing abdominal mass which clinically was thought to be a neoplasm originating in the ovaries. A clinical and imaging diagnosis of primary ovarian malignancy was made but during laparotomy, a mesenteric component to the malignancy as well as bilateral ovarian cysts were seen. The mass was removed with care and histopathological analysis confirmed it to be GIST. Follow-up of the patient was done for three years and there was no sign of any disease in the patient and she had an uncomplicated postoperative period. This case describes the intricacy of GISTs' diagnosis, the significance of detailed intraoperative analysis, and appropriate postoperative surveillance. Differences and similarities with other similar cases shed light on how such patients present themselves for treatment, thus encouraging differentiated care. Supervisory care is therefore vital in the monitoring of the patient for prolonged periods and to check for any relapse.

Ovarian tuberculosis mimicking ovarian malignancy in an unvaccinated patient: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian tuberculosis is a rare form of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis that usually present with atypical symptoms mimicking ovarian carcinoma. CASE REPORT: We report a case of non-vaccinated 20-years-old women who present with non-specific symptoms and for whom imaging techniques weren't conclusive for ovarian tuberculosis. The ultrasound shows hydronephrosis secondary to the compressive pelvic mass. Regarding the compressive character of the mass and it's consequence on the urinary system as well as the suspicion of malignant origin, laparotomy was performed. Based on histopathological analysis of surgical biopsies a diagnosis of ovarian tuberculosis was made and the patient was put under anti-TB drugs. During the follow up there was a good response to treatment with improvement of health state, regression of the abdominopelvic mass as well as the hydronephrosis. DISCUSSION: Ovarian tuberculosis can occur even in the absence of previous pulmonary TB. The major risk with female genital tuberculosis is infertility. CONCLUSION: Ovarian tuberculosis is a rare form of extra pulmonary TB that should be always considered in differential diagnosis of ovarian TB.

Ovarian Cancer surgical consideration is markedly improved by the neural network powered-MIA3G multivariate index assay.

Background: Surgery remains the main treatment option for an adnexal mass suspicious of ovarian cancer. The malignancy rate is, however, only 10-15% in women undergoing surgery. This results in a high number of unnecessary surgeries. A surveillance-based approach is recommended to form the basis for surgical referrals. We have previously reported the clinical performance of MIA3G, a deep neural network-based algorithm, for assessing ovarian cancer risk. In this study, we show that MIA3G markedly improves the surgical selection for women presenting with adnexal masses. Methods: MIA3G employs seven serum biomarkers, patient age, and menopausal status. Serum samples were collected from 785 women (IQR: 39-55 years) across 12 centers that presented with adnexal masses. MIA3G risk scores were calculated for all subjects in this cohort. Physicians had no access to the MIA3G risk score when deciding upon a surgical referral. The performance of MIA3G for surgery referral was compared to clinical and surgical outcomes. MIA3G was also tested in an independent cohort comprising 29 women across 14 study sites, in which the physicians had access to and utilized MIA3G prior to surgical consideration. Results: When compared to the actual number of surgeries (n = 207), referrals based on the MIA3G score would have reduced surgeries by 62% (n = 79). The reduction was higher in premenopausal patients (77%) and in patients ≤55 years old (70%). In addition, a 431% improvement in malignancy prediction would have been observed if physicians had utilized MIA3G scores for surgery selection. The accuracy of MIA3G referral was 90.00% (CI 87.89-92.11), while only 9.18% accuracy was observed when the MIA3G score was not used. These results were corroborated in an independent multi-site study of 29 patients in which the physicians utilized MIA3G in surgical consideration. The surgery reduction was 87% in this cohort. Moreover, the accuracy and concordance of MIA3G in this independent cohort were each 96.55%. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that MIA3G markedly augments the physician's decisions for surgical intervention and improves malignancy prediction in women presenting with adnexal masses. MIA3G utilization as a clinical diagnostic tool might help reduce unnecessary surgeries.

Exploring the Relationship between Ovarian Cancer and Genital Microbiota: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains a significant health challenge globally, with high mortality rates despite advancements in treatment. Emerging research suggests a potential link between OC development and genital dysbiosis, implicating alterations in the microbiome composition as a contributing factor. To investigate this correlation, a meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines, involving eight studies encompassing 3504 patients. Studies investigating the role of upper and inferior genital tract dysbiosis were included, with particular reference to HPV infection and/or history of pelvic inflammatory disease. The analysis revealed no significant difference in genital dysbiosis prevalence between OC patients and healthy controls. Although previous literature suggests associations between dysbiosis and gynecologic cancers, such as cervical and endometrial cancers, the findings regarding OC are inconclusive. Methodological variations and environmental factors may contribute to these discrepancies, underscoring the need for standardized methodologies and larger-scale studies. Despite the limitations, understanding the microbiome's role in OC development holds promise for informing preventive and therapeutic strategies. A holistic approach to patient care, incorporating microbiome monitoring and personalized interventions, may offer insights into mitigating OC risk and improving treatment outcomes. Further research with robust methodologies is warranted to elucidate the complex interplay between dysbiosis and OC, potentially paving the way for novel preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Ovarian cancer think tank: An overview of the current status of ovarian cancer screening and recommendations for future directions.

Early diagnosis and screening of ovarian cancer remain significant challenges to improving patient outcomes. There is an urgent need to implement both established and modern strategies to address the "early detection" conundrum, especially as new research continues to uncover the complexities of the disease. The discussion provided is the result of a unique research conference focused on reviewing early detection modalities and providing insight into future approaches.

Clinical Significance of the TK1-Specific Activity in the Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in women. One of the major concerns is almost two-thirds of cases are typically diagnosed in the late stage as the symptoms are unspecific in the early stage of ovarian cancer. It is known that the combination of TK1 protein with CA 125 or HE4 showed better performance than either of them alone. That is why, the aim of the study was to investigate whether the TK1-specific activity (TK1 SA) could function as a complement marker for early-stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer. METHODS: The study included a set of 198 sera consisting of 134 patients with ovarian tumors (72 benign and 62 malignant) and 64 healthy age-matched controls. The TK1 SA was determined using TK1 activity by TK-Liaison and TK1 protein by AroCell TK 210 ELISA. Further, CA 125, HE4, as well as risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm index were also determined in the same set of clinical samples. RESULTS: The TK1 SA was significantly different between healthy compared to ovarian cancer patients (p < 0.0001). Strikingly, TK1 SA has higher sensitivity (55%) compared to other biomarkers in the detection of benign ovarian tumors. Further, the highest sensitivity was achieved by the combination of TK1 SA with CA 125 and HE4 for the detection of benign tumors as well as malignant ovarian tumors (72.2% and 88.7%). In addition, TK1 SA could significantly differentiate FIGO stage I/II from stage III/IV malignancies (p = 0.026). Follow-up of patients after surgery and chemotherapy showed a significant difference compared to TK1 SA at the time of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that TK1 SA is a promising blood-based biomarker that could complement CA 125 and HE4 for the detection of early stages of ovarian cancer.

Immature Teratoma: A Case Report of a Monster Tumor in the Pediatric Age Group.

Immature teratoma is a rare type of germ cell tumor containing embryonic tissues that may be malignant. It usually occurs in young women and affects the ovaries. Teratomas exhibit benign clinical behavior, but they can return as teratomas or with malignant components, and in a small subset of individuals, the prognosis may be deadly. We will discuss a case of a 9-year-old female child who presented with pain and a huge lump in the lower abdomen that was suggestive of an ovarian dermoid cyst or a germ cell tumor on computed tomography (CT) abdomen pelvis and underwent exploratory laparotomy and debulking surgery. Histopathology results indicated that she had a grade 3 immature teratoma. Postoperatively, the patient received 3 cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) as adjuvant chemotherapy with a good response. She is currently under regular follow-up and has no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. This case illustrates the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of immature teratoma, which can be cured with surgery and chemotherapy. It also highlights the challenges of managing such a large tumor in a pediatric patient.

Comparison of the risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm and Copenhagen Index for the preoperative assessment of Japanese women with ovarian tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA) and Copenhagen Index (CPH-I) in their ability to distinguish epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and malignant ovarian tumors (MLOT) from benign ovarian tumors (BeOT) in Japanese women. METHODS: Patients with pathologically diagnosed ovarian tumors were included in this study. The study validated the diagnostic performance of ROMA and CPH-I. RESULTS: Among the 463 Japanese women included in this study, 312 had BeOT, 99 had EOC, and 52 had other MLOT. The receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUCs) of ROMA (0.89) and CPH-I (0.89) for distinguishing EOC from BeOT were significantly higher than that of CA125 (0.82) (CA 125 vs. ROMA; p = 0.002, vs. CPH-I; p < 0.001). The ROC-AUCs of ROMA (0.82) and CPH-I (0.81) for distinguishing MLOT from BeOT were significantly higher than that of CA125 (0.75) (CA 125 vs. ROMA: p = 0.003, vs. CPH-I: p < 0.001). The sensitivity (SN)/specificity (SP) of ROMA and CPH-I for distinguishing EOC from BeOT at standard cut-off points were 69%/90%, and 69%/90%, respectively, those for distinguishing MLOT from BeOT were 54%/90%, and 55%/90%, respectively. CONCLUSION: ROMA and CPH-I performed comparably well and better than CA125 in distinguishing EOC from BeOT in Japanese women. ROMA and CHP-I should be used with caution in practical situations, where all histological possibilities for must be considered, because the SNs of ROMA and CPH-I were only 54% and 55%.

A 10-year clinicopathological analysis of ovarian lesions in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria.

Background: Ovarian tumours are the most lethal of all gynaecological cancers and they are usually diagnosed in advanced stages when the prognosis is very poor. Objective: To determine the pattern of ovarian lesions, their frequency, presentation, and associated clinical symptoms in Uyo, Nigeria. Methods: A 10-year retrospective study of all ovarian specimens that were surgically removed and histologically diagnosed. Results: The patients were between the ages of 5 and 73 years with median age of 34.1 years. Benign tumours occurred most commonly among the 20-39-year age group (31.3%) while malignant tumours were predominant among those aged 50-69 years (10.0%). Surface epithelial tumours (45.4%) were the most common neoplastic tumours while the mature cystic teratoma (33.2%) was the most common tumour overall. Surface epithelial malignancies accounted for 70.6% of all ovarian malignancies and the serous cyst adenocarcinoma (10.2%) was the most common surface epithelial tumour as well as the most common malignant tumour. Conclusion: There has been an increase in the number of malignant ovarian specimens in our centre. Though surface epithelial tumours were the most common category of ovarian tumours, overall, the mature cystic teratoma was the most common tumour. Serous cyst adenocarcinoma was the most common surface epithelial tumour and the most common malignant tumour.

Comparison of Four Risk of Malignancy Indices for Preoperative Evaluation of Ovarian Masses: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer imposes a significant health burden worldwide. Although various tumor markers are available to diagnose ovarian cancer, low-resource countries like India require a humble marker or index. The Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) has been found to be a simple yet promising tool that can be used for this purpose. In this study, we attempted to validate various RMIs with the help of menopausal status, ultrasonogram score, cancer antigen (CA) 125 value and compare all four RMIs, which would be useful to differentiate benign and malignant ovarian masses. This could be an essential tool, especially in low-resource settings. METHOD: This prospective study was conducted at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences in Odisha, India, from September 2020 to September 2022 involving 191 patients with ovarian mass with histopathology, which was deemed the "gold standard" diagnostic tool. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of RMI 1, 2, 3, and 4 were calculated and compared.  Results: Out of 191 patients, 32 (16%) had malignancy and 159 (83.2%) had benign pathology. It was apparent that RMI 4 was a better tool for the initial assessment of patients with ovarian masses with a sensitivity of 80.6%, specificity of 96.2%, PPV of 81%, NPV of 96% at a cutoff of 334, and an area under the curve value of 0.939. CONCLUSION: RMI 4 followed by RMI 3 were relatively better indices than RMI 1 and RMI 2 for identifying benign and malignant ovarian masses. RMI 4 was a valuable and applicable method in diagnosing pelvic masses with a high risk of malignancy.

Juvenile granulosa cell tumor in an adult woman during pregnancy: A case report and review of the literature.

Objective: To report a case of stage IIIB juvenile granulosa cell tumor (JGCT) complicating pregnancy in a 33 year-old (y.o.) woman. Methods: Retrospective review of the clinical data, imaging studies, and pathology reports of a case of JGCT diagnosed during pregnancy. Patient consent was obtained for review and presentation of the case. A literature review was conducted. Results: A 33 y.o., gravida 3, para 1 was incidentally found to have an 8 cm left ovarian mass on an anatomy scan at 22 weeks gestation. Four days later, she presented to labor and delivery triage with abdominal pain. An ultrasound revealed an 11 cm heterogeneous, solid mass in the left adnexa and free fluid at this level. The diagnosis of degenerating fibroid was made based on her clinical presentation and she was discharged. A follow up outpatient MRI revealed a 15 cm left ovarian mass consistent with a primary malignant ovarian neoplasm with moderate ascites and omental, left cul de sac, and probable paracolic gutter implantation. She re-presented 2 weeks later with an acute abdomen and was admitted for a gynecologic oncology consult. Pre-op tumor markers showed an elevated inhibin B. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy, left salpingo-oophorectomy, omental biopsy, and small bowel resection at 25 weeks gestation. Intra-op findings included a ruptured tumor and metastases. Tumor reductive surgery was completed to R0. Pathology revealed a JGCT, FIGO stage IIIB. The pathology and management were reviewed in collaboration with an outside institution. Chemotherapy was delayed until after delivery with monthly MRI surveillance. She underwent induction of labor at 37 weeks followed by an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. She received 3 cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin starting six weeks postpartum. Last known contact was over five years after the initial diagnosis with no evidence of recurrent disease. Conclusion: JGCTs account for 5% of granulosa cell tumors and 3% are diagnosed after age 30. JGCT is an uncommon neoplasm in pregnancy. 90% are stage I at diagnosis, but advanced stage tumors are aggressive often resulting in recurrence or death within 3 years of diagnosis. We present a surgically treated case with delay in chemotherapy until after delivery with a good outcome after 5 years of follow up.

A rare case of a peripheral Ewing sarcoma primitive neuroectodermal tumor of pelvic origin.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) represent malignant neuroectodermal tumors composed of small round cells. They can be differentiated between originating from the peripheral nervous system or the central nervous system. Peripheral PNET (pPNET) can be further subclassified as one of the Ewing family tumors (EFT). Although rare, EFT can originate in the female genital tract and pelvic region. Here, we present a case of a middle-aged female with PNET masses in her uterus, abdomen, and hepatic lobes. We discuss the diagnostic modalities, including immunohistochemistry, histopathology, and imaging findings associated with this rare malignancy.

Diagnostic performance of CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I in identifying primary ovarian cancer.

AIMS: To evaluate the ability of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA), and Copenhagen Index (CPH-I) to identify primary ovarian cancer (OC) from borderline and benign ovarian tumors (OTs) and explore ideal cutoff points. METHODS: A total of 684 OTs containing 276 OC patients, 116 ovarian borderline OTs and 292 benign OTs patients who underwent surgery in our hospital were included. We retrospectively searched the results of CA125 and HE4 before patients' surgery from the hospital's electronic medical records system. ROMA and CPH-I were calculated according to their menopausal status and age, respectively. Diagnostic performance of these four were assessed by drawing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I were all significantly higher in OC women compared with borderline OTs (p < 0.001), followed by benign OTs (p < 0.001). Area under the curves (AUCs) for distinguishing OC were 0.850 (0.818-0.882), 0.891 (0.865-0.916), 0.910 (0.888-0.933) and 0.906 (0.882-0.930), respectively, and the corresponding ideal cutoff values for CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I were 132.5, 68.6, 23.8, and 6.4, respectively. The difference between ROMA and CPH-I was not significant (p = 0.97), but both were higher than CA125 and HE4 (p < 0.05). HE4 showed a significantly higher AUC than CA125 (p < 0.05). For postmenopausal women, CA125 performed equivalently to ROMA (p = 0.73) and CPH-I (p = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: In identifying patients with OC, ROMA and CPH-I outperformed single tumor marker. The diagnostic performance of HE4 was significantly higher than that of CA125. CA125 was more suitable for postmenopausal women.

Value of the Copenhagen index in the diagnosis of malignant adnexal tumors: A meta-analysis.

Ovarian cancer is a common gynecological malignant tumor. Early diagnosis is important for the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. To evaluate the accuracy of the Copenhagen Index (CPH-I) in detecting malignant adnexal tumors and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CPH-I and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA). PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were used to retrieve eligible studies. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the (summary receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUC) were 0.81, 0.88, 6.61, 0.22, 30.43, and 0.91, respectively, in diagnosing malignant adnexal tumors. In addition, using ROMA, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.83, 0.85, and 0.90, respectively. CPH-I showed high accuracy in diagnosing malignant adnexal tumors, which could be an alternative method with similar efficacy to ROMA. CPH-I was more advantageous in diagnosing adnexal tumors in postmenopausal women.

Imaging of Metastatic Disease to the Ovary/Adnexa.

Ovarian metastases tend to arise in young women, either in patients with known cancer or as the first presentation of a previously occult extraovarian malignancy. Although imaging cannot always differentiate between secondary and primary ovarian neoplasms, and pathologic confirmation is generally required, it is important to recognize suggestive imaging features on pelvic MR imaging. Ovarian metastases are commonly described as bilateral, solid, heterogenous, and hypervascular. Features vary based on the tumor origin and histology. Knowledge of these features, plus the appropriate clinical context, can help guide radiologists to include metastases in their differential diagnosis for atypical adnexal masses.

Krukenberg Tumour in Adolescents: Rare but Possible.

Krukenberg tumour is a rare ovarian metastatic carcinoma arising from a primary malignancy elsewhere, classically the gastrointestinal tract and breast. They are bilateral solid ovarian tumour which most commonly occurs between 40-60 years, and its occurrence in the second decade of life is extremely rare. In this short commentary, we present an unusual case of Krukenberg tumour in a 16-year old in which diagnosis was made intraoperatively and managed systematically, thus emphasising the need to suspect Krukenberg in all age groups.

Laparoscopic Surgery for Ovarian Neoplasms - What is Possible, What is Useful?

The use of minimally invasive surgical techniques is becoming increasingly important in gynecologic oncology due to technical advances and the increasing level of surgical expertise. In addition to laparoscopic approaches for the treatment of benign neoplasms, minimally invasive surgical methods have also become established in some areas for treating gynecologic malignancies. For tumor entities such as endometrial and cervical carcinoma, there are conclusive studies emphasizing the role of laparoscopy in surgical therapy. By contrast, due to a lack of prospective data with survival analyses, no clear conclusions can be drawn on the significance of laparoscopy in the surgical treatment of ovarian carcinoma. However, some smaller, mostly retrospective case-control studies and cohort studies open the way for a discussion, positing the possibility that laparoscopic surgical procedures, particularly for early ovarian carcinoma, are technically feasible and of a quality equivalent to that of conventional longitudinal laparotomy, and may also be associated with lower perioperative morbidity. In this article we discuss the most important aspects of using minimally invasive surgical techniques for ovarian carcinoma based on the current literature. In particular we look at the relevance of laparoscopy as a primary approach for surgical staging of early ovarian carcinoma, and we evaluate the role of diagnostic laparoscopy in assessing the operability of advanced ovarian carcinoma.