Ovarian stromal hyperthecosis

Abstract

The review analyzes the data on pathogenesis, prevalence, pathomorphology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian stromal hyperthecosis. This condition is characterized by severe hyperandrogenism and impaired glucose tolerance, and it is mostly occurs in postmenopausal women. Main cause of androgenic hyperproduction in women of reproductive age - the polycystic ovary syndrome - is thoroughly studied; standards for diagnostics and treatment for such patients are developed. Little is known about stromal hyperthecosis, which is a more rare cause of hyperandrogenism that had been considered as a severe form of polycystic ovary syndrome. However, it became an independent nosological form after a detailed study of the pathomorphology. Currently, there are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria for stromal hyperthecosis. This is not only because the disease is rare, but also due to the difficulty of making the final diagnosis. Patients with stromal hyperthecosis are at high risk for developing malignancies - endometrial cancer or breast cancer. So, the need for further investigation and developing treatment approaches is undoubted. In majority of cases, the diagnosis of stromal hyperthecosis is set on histological examination of ovarian tissue from patients with idiopathic severe hyperandrogenism, infertility or cancer. The practicing obstetrician-gynecologist must be aware of this condition to suspect the ovarian stromal hyperthecosis when its typical clinical features manifest, to perform meticulous laboratory and instrumental investigation and to choose the correct management tactics for such patients.