Sex Cord-Stromal, Steroid Cell, and Other Ovarian Tumors with Endocrine, Paraendocrine, and Paraneoplastic Manifestations

Abstract

The sex cord-stromal tumor category includes all ovarian neoplasms that contain granulosa cells, fibroblasts, theca cells (and their luteinized derivatives), Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, singly or in various combinations and in varying degrees of differentiation. Those who believe that all these cell types are derived from the ``specialized stroma'' of the genital ridge favor the term gonadal stromal tumors for these neoplasms (Norris and Taylor 1968). Others, recognizing that many embryologists favor the participation of coelomic and mesonephric epithelium in the formation of sex cords, which are the proximal precursors of granulosa cells and Sertoli cells, favor the term sex cord-stromal tumors, and it is now the most widely accepted designation (Scully et al. 1998). The chapter also covers relevant aspects of a wide variety of other ovarian tumors associated with endocrine function and paraneoplastic syndromes.