A. Kanbourshakir et al., PRIMITIVE NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR ARISING IN AN OVARIAN MATURE CYSTIC TERATOMA - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC STUDIES, International journal of gynecological pathology, 12(3), 1993, pp. 270-275
The occurrence of a malignant neuroectodermal tumor in a mature cystic
teratoma is extremely rare. Five cases of ovarian primitive neuroecto
dermal tumors (PNET) or neuroepitheliomas have been reported. In two,
the tumor was adjacent to foci of a mature teratomatous element. We pr
esent the immunohistochemical profile and electron microscopic study o
f an ovarian mature cystic teratoma with PNET or malignant neuroepithe
lioma. The transition between the mature neural elements and the malig
nant PNET presents a model for monodermic neuroepithelial differentiat
ion and explains the histogenesis of this unusual tumor.