A follicle-stimulating hormone-secreting gonadotroph adenoma with ovarian enlargement in a 10-year-old girl

Objective: To report a rare case of gonadotroph adenoma accompanied by ovar ian enlargement in a child. Design: Case report. Setting: A university hospital. Patient(s): A 10-year-old Japanese girl with multiple cysts of both ovaries . Intervention(s): Endocrinologic assays, immunohistochemical staining, ultra structural observations, and in vitro analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s): The endocrinologic assays showed an elevated serum FSH level. The tumor cells excised from the gonadotroph adenoma were immun ohistochemically positive for antihuman FSH monoclonal antibody. When cultu red in vitro, the tumor cells secreted FSH in the primary culture. Result(s): The gonadotroph adenoma produced FSH. After transsphenoidal surg ery, both ovaries decreased in size. Conclusion(s): The ovarian enlargement was induced by endogenous FSH from t he gonadotroph adenoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case o f gonadotroph adenoma accompanied by ovarian enlargement in childhood or ad olescence. (Fertil Steril(R) 1999;72:158-60. (C) 1999 by American Society f or Reproductive Medicine.)