Microscopic Sertoliform Sex Cord Proliferations: A Rare Incidental Finding Associated With Endometriosis and Ovarian Epithelial Neoplasia

Abstract

Microscopic sex cord proliferations are a rare incidental finding seen in association with ovarian and uterine stromal or epithelial neoplasms and more uncommonly non-neoplastic conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis. They may also occur in the absence of other pathology, as an incidental finding in the ovaries of pregnant women and in heterotopic locations such as the fallopian tube. Most reports of this phenomenon describe adult granulosa cell tumor-like morphology. Herein, we describe 4 cases of microscopic sex cord proliferations with Sertoliform features, occurring in the stromal component of endometriosis or in the wall of an epithelial ovarian neoplasm; 2 of the patients with endometriosis had concurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma (1 uterine corpus, 1 ovary). The proliferations were positive with sex cord markers inhibin and calretinin. As far as we are aware, such Sertoliform proliferations have not been reported previously in endometriosis and have only rarely been described in association with ovarian epithelial neoplasia. It is likely that such proliferations represent a benign non-neoplastic phenomenon. Awareness of this phenomenon is important in order to avoid misdiagnosis as a sex cord or other neoplasm. In reporting this unusual phenomenon, we review incidental sex cord and sex cord-like proliferations in the female genital tract.