A clinicopathological analysis of 40 cases of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathological features of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs) and to explore the reasonable therapy. METHODS: A total of 40 cases of SLCTs were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The incidence of SLCTs was 0.41%, with a median age of 28 years. All tumors were confined to one ovary. Four tumors were well differentiated, 14 were intermediately differentiated, 20 were poorly differentiated, and 2 were undefined; 2 cases had heterologous elements, and 3 had a retiform pattern. The patients were classified into 3 groups: androgen excess (25/40), estrogen excess (6/40), and no endocrine changes (9/40). The percentages of tumors >10 cm in diameter were 8.0%, 16.7% and 40.0%, respectively; the percentages of poor differentiation were 40.0%, 50.0% and 77.8%, respectively; and the percentages of tumor rupture were 20.0%, 16.7% and 66.7%, respectively. One patient underwent cystectomy, 27 underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and 12 underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. A total of 23 patients received postoperative chemotherapy. One patient died of diabetic nephropathy, and 3 were lost to follow up. The remaining 36 were followed up from 12 to 377 (average 70.4) months. Two patients with stage Ic tumors of poor differentiation had a recurrence within 13 and 21 months, and both obtained complete remission after the second surgery and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of SLCTs is good, although poorly differentiated tumors may recur. Conservative surgery is acceptable for young patients wishing to preserve fertility, and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and long-term follow up are recommended to those with high-risk factors.