PRIMARY OVARIAN CARCINOID-TUMOR

Pure primary ovarian carcinoid tumors are uncommon and only 21 cases h ave been recorded in the literature. In the past 15 years, we have see n two cases. One was strumal carcinoid and the other, the case present ed here, was a primary ovarian carcinoid tumor arising from the left o vary of a 25-year-old woman who had no carcinoid syndrome. the tumor w as made up of pure carcinoid tumor without other teratomatous elements . On light microscopy the neoplasm,composed of uniform tumor cells, wa s arranged in solid nests or a trabecular pattern. The differential di agnosis included granulosa cell tumor, Brenner tumor, Sertoli-Leydig c ell tumor and metastatic carcinoid tumor. However, the strongly argyro philic, chromogranin staining and ultrastructural presence of neurosec retory granules confirmed the diagnosis of primary ovarian carcinoid t umor. After a careful survey of the contralateral ovary and the gastro intestinal tract, the patient underwent a left oophorectomy. Her posto perative course was uneventful. The literature and the pathologic find ings are reviewed and discussed, along with the differential diagnosis and treatment of primary ovarian carcinoid tumor.