Malignant struma ovarii: Two case reports and a review of the literature

Struma ovarii consists of thyroid tissue derived from germ cells in a matur e teratoma. Malignant transformation is very rare, with clinically evident metastatic disease reported in approximately 20 eases. The rarity of this d isease renders evaluation of treatment modalities difficult. There is evide nce that these tumors behave like their thyroid counterparts, and cytoreduc tive surgery followed by ablation with radioactive iodine has been advocate d. We report the diagnosis and treatment of 2 patients with metastatic mali gnant struma ovarii treated with a combination of surgery and radiation the rapy. (C) 1999 Academic Press.