Review of the granulosa-theca cell tumors from the emil Novak ovarian tumor registry.

Abstract

Our purpose was to review patients with granulosa and theca cell tumors as filed in the Emil Novak Ovarian Tumor Registry. Our study was a descriptive, retrospective study of 454 case records. The reviewed diagnoses were for 97 patients with granulosa cell tumors, 116 with theca cell tumors, and 97 with granulosa-theca cell tumors. The remaining cases (n = 144) were reclassified as "nonspecific" gonadal stromal tumors (n = 61), luteomas of pregnancy (n = 7), and 76 "other" cases. These included poorly differentiated cancer, metastatic cancer, mixed mesodermal tumors, and sarcomas. The tumor-related mortality rate for the 310 patients with granulosa, theca, and granulosa-theca cell tumors was 7% (37.3% for granulosa cell tumors only). The surgical stage of disease was the most significant prognostic factor, with a mortality rate of at least 40%, given that the tumor had spread beyond the ovary. Because the differential diagnoses of particularly granulosa cell tumors included several conditions with an extremely poor prognosis, an accurate histologic diagnosis is crucial.