Hormonally functional ovarian neoplasms

Hormonally functional ovarian neoplasms are those tumors that secrete one o r more hormones that are clinically manifested in the patient. The hormone production may have implications for the diagnosis, management, or treatmen t of the patient. Hormonally functional ovarian neoplasms include tumors th at belong to various histologic categories and produce a variety of hormona l effects. Functional ovarian tumors most commonly produce steroid hormones , and such tumors frequently belong in the sex cord-stromal and steroid cel l categories. In addition, a wide variety of peptide hormones may be produc ed by ovarian tumors. Although in most instances the neoplastic cells thems elves produce the hormones, a wide variety of tumors may induce their strom a to produce steroid hormones. The stroma of ovarian tumors is derived from the ovarian stroma and may, on occasion, resemble specialized ovarian stro ma and its derivatives. Cells resembling luteinized stromal cells or lutein ized theca cells may be present and appear to be responsible for the result ant hormone secretion.