PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A. Shushan
AU  - S. Mor-Yosef
TI  - Ectopic hormone production by ovarian neoplasms
AID  - 10.1136/ijgc-00009577-199607000-00001
DP  - 1996 Jul 01
TA  - International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer
PG  - 249--256
VI  - 6
IP  - 4
4099  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/6/4/249.short
4100  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/6/4/249.full
SO  - Int J Gynecol Cancer1996 Jul 01; 6
AB  - Ovarian neoplasms, producing ectopic hormones, other than struma ovarii, are extremely rare. We review such tumors that have been reported in the world's literature during the last 15 years. Most patients presented with a clinical picture which was typical of the excess hormone produced. The clinical syndromes associated with ovarian neoplasms are: the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, hypercalcemia, Cushing's syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, hypertension related to renin or aldosterone production, and ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotropin. The clinical characteristics of these patients, as well as the pathologic findings, are described. In most of these cases the tumor was not localized preoperatively and the patients underwent unnecessary extensive operative procedures. Regardless of benign or malignant histology, complete excision of the tumor practically offers cure to these patients. Although rare, the possibility of ectopic hormone production by ovarian neoplasms should be kept in mind when investigating a patient with a nonlocalized hormone-secreting tumor. A review of ovarian neoplasms producing ectopic hormones is herein presented along with the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas characterizing this entity.