Endocrine profile and electron microscopic study of ovarian androblastoma

The endocrine profile of a 23-year-old woman with an androblastoma of the right ovary and the results of electron microscopic observation of the tumor are presented. The calculated ratio of testosterone in testosterone intraoperative peripheral vein blood, right ovarian vein blood, and right ovarian tumor fluid was 1:1.4:4.0. The peripheral levels of hormones before right salpingo-oophorectomy were testosterone, 6.26 ng/ml; dehydroepiandrosterone, 17.80 ng/ml; androstenedione, 1.61 ng/ml; and cortisol, 16.5 micrograms/ml, and the corresponding levels at 14 days after surgery were 0.50 ng/ml; 13.80 ng/ml; 1.27 ng/ml; and 15.2 micrograms/ml, respectively. The tumor was responsive to hCG, resulting in a marked increase in the serum concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone (3.7 times, 5.3 times, and 2.4 times, respectively). Preoperatively, an elevated basal level of luteinizing hormone (LH) and a normal basal level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (high LH:FSH ratio, 6.6) were found. The electron microscopic findings for the tumor revealed Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, transitional cells with features of both Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, and dark cells. The dark cells had features similar to dark cells of normal ovarian stroma.