Childhood Sex Cord–Stromal Tumors
Histology and Molecular Features
Ovarian sex cord–stromal tumors are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors that derive from the gonadal non–germ cell component.[1] Histologic subtypes display some areas of gonadal differentiation and include juvenile (and, rarely, adult) granulosa cell tumors, Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, and sclerosing stromal tumors. Other histological subtypes, such as steroid cell tumor, sex cord tumor with annular tubules, or thecoma, are exceedingly rare. Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors in children and adolescents are commonly associated with the presence of germline DICER1 mutations and may be a manifestation of the familial pleuropulmonary blastoma syndrome.[2]
Clinical Presentation
The clinical presentation and prognosis of sex cord–stromal tumors varies by histology. In all entities, metastatic spread occurs rarely and if present, is usually limited to the peritoneal cavity.[1] Distant metastases mostly occur in relapse situations. Some tumors may be associated with hormone secretion; for example, estrogen in granulosa cell tumors or androgens in Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors.[3]
Diagnostic Evaluation
In the United States, these tumors may be registered in the Testicular and Ovarian Stromal Tumor registry.[4] In Europe, patients are prospectively registered in the national rare tumor groups.[4,5] The recommendations regarding diagnostic work-up, staging, and therapeutic strategy have been harmonized between these registries.[4]
The European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors within the PARTNER project (Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry) has published comprehensive recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of sex cord–stromal tumors in children and adolescents.[6]
Prognostic Factors
In a report from the German Maligne Keimzelltumoren (MAKEI) study, 54 children and adolescents with prospectively registered sex cord–stromal tumors were analyzed. Forty-eight patients presented with stage I tumors, and six patients had peritoneal metastases. While overall prognosis was favorable, patients at risk could be identified by stage (stage Ic, preoperative rupture, stages II and III) and histological criteria such as high mitotic count.[7]
Treatment of Childhood Sex Cord–Stromal Tumors
Treatment options for childhood sex cord–stromal tumors include the following:
- Surgery.
- Chemotherapy.
A French registry identified 38 girls younger than 18 years with ovarian sex cord tumors.[3] Complete surgical resection was achieved in 23 of 38 girls who did not receive adjuvant treatment. Two patients recurred, one patient's tumor responded to chemotherapy, and the other patient died. Fifteen girls had tumor rupture and/or ascites. Eleven of the 15 patients received chemotherapy and did not recur; of the four patients who did not receive chemotherapy, all recurred and two died.
Childhood Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumors
Incidence
The most common histologic subtype in girls younger than 18 years is juvenile granulosa cell tumors (median age, 7.6 years; range, birth to 17.5 years).[8,9] Juvenile granulosa cell tumors represent about 5% of ovarian tumors in children and adolescents and are distinct from the granulosa cell tumors seen in adults.[1,10]
Risk Factors
Juvenile granulosa cell tumors have been reported in children with Ollier disease and Maffucci syndrome.[11,12]
Clinical Presentation
Patients with juvenile granulosa cell tumors present with the following symptoms:[13,14]
- Precocious puberty (most common; caused by estrogen secretion).
- Abdominal pain.
- Abdominal mass.
- Ascites.
Treatment of Childhood Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumors
Treatment options for childhood juvenile granulosa cell tumors include the following:
- Surgery. As many as 90% of children with juvenile granulosa cell tumors will have low-stage disease (stage I) by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) criteria and are usually curable with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy alone.
- Chemotherapy. Patients with spontaneous tumor rupture or malignant ascites (FIGO stage IC2, IC3), advanced disease (FIGO stages II–IV), and those with high mitotic activity tumors have a poorer prognosis and require chemotherapy.[3,5,10] Use of a cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen has been reported in both the adjuvant and recurrent disease settings with some success.[5,8,15,16,17][Level of evidence: 3iiiA]
Childhood Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Presentation
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors are rare in young girls and are more frequently seen in adolescents. They may secrete androgens and, thus, present with virilization, secondary amenorrhea,[18] or precocious puberty.[19] These tumors may also be associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, but more frequently are a part of the DICER1-tumor spectrum.[2,20,21] Patients with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors should be evaluated for germline DICER1 mutations. If a germline DICER1 mutation is found, regular follow-up for ovarian and other tumors such as thyroid disease (multinodular goiter, carcinoma) and genetic counseling should be considered.[21,22]
Treatment and Outcome of Childhood Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors
Treatment options for childhood Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors include the following:
- Surgery. Surgery is the primary treatment for Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors and is the only treatment for low-stage disease (FIGO stage Ia), with essentially a 100% event-free survival rate.[3][Level of evidence: 3iiiA] However, up to 10% of patients may develop metachronous contralateral tumors, particularly in the context of underlying DICER1 germline mutations.[23]
- Chemotherapy. Patients with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors with abdominal spillage during surgery, spontaneous tumor rupture, or metastatic disease (FIGO stages IC, II, III, and IV) are treated with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy, although the impact of chemotherapy has not been studied in clinical trials.[3,24] An additional study reported on 40 women with FIGO stage I or Ic Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors of the ovary, with an average age of 28 years.[25][Level of evidence: 3iiA] Of 34 patients with intermediate or poor differentiation, 23 patients received postoperative chemotherapy (most regimens included cisplatin); none recurred. Of the 11 patients who did not receive postoperative chemotherapy, two recurred; both had tumors that were salvaged with chemotherapy.
A study of 44 patients from the European Cooperative Study Group on Pediatric Rare Tumors showed that prognosis of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors was determined by stage and histopathologic differentiation.[24]
References:
- Schneider DT, Jänig U, Calaminus G, et al.: Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors--a clinicopathological study of 72 cases from the Kiel Pediatric Tumor Registry. Virchows Arch 443 (4): 549-60, 2003.
- Schultz KA, Pacheco MC, Yang J, et al.: Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors, pleuropulmonary blastoma and DICER1 mutations: a report from the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Registry. Gynecol Oncol 122 (2): 246-50, 2011.
- Fresneau B, Orbach D, Faure-Conter C, et al.: Sex-Cord Stromal Tumors in Children and Teenagers: Results of the TGM-95 Study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 62 (12): 2114-9, 2015.
- Schultz KA, Schneider DT, Pashankar F, et al.: Management of ovarian and testicular sex cord-stromal tumors in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 34 (Suppl 2): S55-63, 2012.
- Schneider DT, Calaminus G, Harms D, et al.: Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors in children and adolescents. J Reprod Med 50 (6): 439-46, 2005.
- Schneider DT, Orbach D, Ben-Ami T, et al.: Consensus recommendations from the EXPeRT/PARTNER groups for the diagnosis and therapy of sex cord stromal tumors in children and adolescents. Pediatr Blood Cancer 68 (Suppl 4): e29017, 2021.
- Schneider DT, Calaminus G, Wessalowski R, et al.: Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors in children and adolescents. J Clin Oncol 21 (12): 2357-63, 2003.
- Calaminus G, Wessalowski R, Harms D, et al.: Juvenile granulosa cell tumors of the ovary in children and adolescents: results from 33 patients registered in a prospective cooperative study. Gynecol Oncol 65 (3): 447-52, 1997.
- Capito C, Flechtner I, Thibaud E, et al.: Neonatal bilateral ovarian sex cord stromal tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 52 (3): 401-3, 2009.
- Wu H, Pangas SA, Eldin KW, et al.: Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Ovary: A Clinicopathologic Study. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 30 (1): 138-143, 2017.
- Tanaka Y, Sasaki Y, Nishihira H, et al.: Ovarian juvenile granulosa cell tumor associated with Maffucci's syndrome. Am J Clin Pathol 97 (4): 523-7, 1992.
- Sampagar AA, Jahagirdar RR, Bafna VS, et al.: Juvenile granulosa cell tumor associated with Ollier disease. Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 37 (4): 293-295, 2016 Oct-Dec.
- Kalfa N, Patte C, Orbach D, et al.: A nationwide study of granulosa cell tumors in pre- and postpubertal girls: missed diagnosis of endocrine manifestations worsens prognosis. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 18 (1): 25-31, 2005.
- Gell JS, Stannard MW, Ramnani DM, et al.: Juvenile granulosa cell tumor in a 13-year-old girl with enchondromatosis (Ollier's disease): a case report. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 11 (3): 147-50, 1998.
- Vassal G, Flamant F, Caillaud JM, et al.: Juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the ovary in children: a clinical study of 15 cases. J Clin Oncol 6 (6): 990-5, 1988.
- Powell JL, Connor GP, Henderson GS: Management of recurrent juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the ovary. Gynecol Oncol 81 (1): 113-6, 2001.
- Schneider DT, Calaminus G, Wessalowski R, et al.: Therapy of advanced ovarian juvenile granulosa cell tumors. Klin Padiatr 214 (4): 173-8, 2002 Jul-Aug.
- Arhan E, Cetinkaya E, Aycan Z, et al.: A very rare cause of virilization in childhood: ovarian Leydig cell tumor. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 21 (2): 181-3, 2008.
- Choong CS, Fuller PJ, Chu S, et al.: Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary, a rare cause of precocious puberty in a 12-month-old infant. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87 (1): 49-56, 2002.
- Zung A, Shoham Z, Open M, et al.: Sertoli cell tumor causing precocious puberty in a girl with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Gynecol Oncol 70 (3): 421-4, 1998.
- Schultz KA, Harris A, Messinger Y, et al.: Ovarian tumors related to intronic mutations in DICER1: a report from the international ovarian and testicular stromal tumor registry. Fam Cancer 15 (1): 105-10, 2016.
- Schultz KAP, Williams GM, Kamihara J, et al.: DICER1 and Associated Conditions: Identification of At-risk Individuals and Recommended Surveillance Strategies. Clin Cancer Res 24 (10): 2251-2261, 2018.
- Schultz KAP, Harris AK, Finch M, et al.: DICER1-related Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor and gynandroblastoma: Clinical and genetic findings from the International Ovarian and Testicular Stromal Tumor Registry. Gynecol Oncol 147 (3): 521-527, 2017.
- Schneider DT, Orbach D, Cecchetto G, et al.: Ovarian Sertoli Leydig cell tumours in children and adolescents: an analysis of the European Cooperative Study Group on Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT). Eur J Cancer 51 (4): 543-50, 2015.
- Gui T, Cao D, Shen K, et al.: A clinicopathological analysis of 40 cases of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. Gynecol Oncol 127 (2): 384-9, 2012.