Clinicopathological aspects and their relation to prognosis in adult-type granulosa cell tumor of the ovary

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The adult granulosa cell tumors (AGCT) correspond to less than 5% of ovarian neoplasias. They are considered low malignant potential tumors and may recur after many years. The differential diagnosis must be made with other primary or metastatic ovarian neoplasias. The aim was to analyze clinical and pathological aspects of AGCT and relate them to its evolution. METHOD: in a 10- year (1995-2004) review of the files from University of Campinas Clinical Hospital, Brazil, 20 AGCT cases were found. The clinical records and slides were reviewed and age, symptoms, macro and microscopic aspects, diagnostic staging and recurrence were considered. When there was intraoperative biopsy, its accuracy was evaluated. RESULTS: Age ranged from 27 to 79 years (mean: 53) and the follow-up from 12 to 96 months (mean: 42). The main symptoms were post-menopause bleeding (45%), abdominal pain (35%) and palpable mass (25%). Most tumors were yellowish (60%) and the solid aspect (40%) was more common than the cystic or solid-cystic. The histological patterns were 40% solid, 15% macrofollicular and 45% combined forms. All of them with low mitotic index. Only three out of nine intraoperative frozen sections were accurately diagnosed. The clinical staging was 13 cases in Ia (65%), one case Ic and 6 IIIc. In three out of 14 hysterectomies there was simple endometrial hyperplasia with no atypia. Only the disease staging was significantly associated with recurrence (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: ACGT generally occurs after menopause and intraoperative biopsies are commonly inconclusive. Only advanced staging was related to the worst prognosis.