Management Of Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors Research Articles

Chylothorax, central venous thrombosis and pulmonary infarct in a patient of ovarian germ cell tumor: a case report

Background: Extra-abdominal presentations are rarely seen in ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT). We report a case of a patient with OGCT who presented with systemic venous thrombosis, pulmonary infarct, and chylothorax simultaneously. Case Presentation: A 13-year-old girl presented with dyspnea, fever, and cough of 1 week duration. She was detected to have left-sided chylothorax. Carcinoma Antigen 125 and alpha fetoprotein levels were raised. Computed tomography showed a large ovarian mass, and thrombi in superior vena cava, left brachiocephalic vein, and segmental branch of right pulmonary artery. She also had a peripheral opacity in the right lung with a reverse-halo sign, suggestive of pulmonary infarct. She was diagnosed with yolk-sac tumor and managed with anticoagulation and subsequently neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. Conclusion: Prothrombotic state in OGCT can lead to systemic thrombosis which may result in chylothorax due to obstruction of thoracic duct. The phenomenon, though rare, should be kept in mind during management of OGCT.

Surgical management of malignant ovarian germ-cell tumors: 10 years' experience of 129 patients

To evaluate the surgical management of ovarian germ-cell tumors treated at a single institution during the last decade. One hundred twenty-nine patients affected by ovarian germ-cell tumors were studied retrospectively for their surgical management. Fifty-seven patients were affected by dysgerminoma, 39 by non-dysgerminoma, and 33 by pure immature teratoma. Seventy-nine patients were stage I according to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics criteria, with five first referred at recurrence, 11 at stage II, 35 at stage III, and four at stage IV. Fertility-sparing surgery was performed in 108 of 129 patients. Eighty-five of 100 referred patients underwent surgical or radiologic restaging, with an increase in staging in 16 cases. Three patients with immature teratoma underwent second laparotomy for a growing mass. Thirty-one patients underwent second-look surgery, with positive findings in four cases. Three patients did not respond to chemotherapy, and ten had a recurrence after complete response or surveillance. Six patients died of tumor, with an overall survival of 96% (mean follow-up time 55 months). Fertility-sparing surgery is warranted in all ovarian germ-cell tumors because it does not affect recurrence rate or survival. Extensive tumor-reductive surgery is advisable only in immature teratoma patients and is not necessary for other histologic types. Restaging can be useful in selected cases, but the administration of effective chemotherapy, when needed, seems to be more important. The usefulness of second-look surgery is marginal.