Ovarian Cancer

Question 1

What are the types of ovarian cysts?

Answer 1

• luteal cyst
• follicular cyst
• endometrioid cyst
• mesothelial cyst
• epithelial cyst

Question 2

What are follicular cysts?

Answer 2

-cysts that arise from follicles that fail to rupture but instead grows into a cyst

Question 3

In what groups are follicular cysts common?

Answer 3

-patients with PCOS

Question 4

What are the histologial features of follicular cysts?

Answer 4

• thin walls

- lined by granulosa cells

Question 5

What are the types of ovarian tumours?

Answer 5

• epithelial
• germ cell
• sex cord/stromal
• metastatic

Question 6

What are the types of epithelial ovarian tumours?

Answer 6

• serous (low grade/high grade)
• mucinous
• endometrioid
• clear cell
• brenner

Question 7

How are the epithelial ovarian tumours subdivided histopathologically?

Answer 7

• benign(no cytological abnormalities, proliferation absent/scant,no stromal invasion)
• borderline (proliferative, cytological abnormalities, no stromal invasion)
• malignant (stromal invasion)

Question 8

What are the two types of serous ovarian carcinoma?

Answer 8

Low grade serous carcinoma and high grade serous carcinoma

Question 9

What are the features high grade serous carcinoma?

Answer 9

• serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma
• arises from the fallopian tube
• highly aggressive and fast growing
• associated with BRCA gene

Question 10

What is a feature of low grade serous carcinoma?

Answer 10

• serous borderline tumour
• less aggressive
• usually confined to ovary

Question 11

What are the features of endometrioid and clear cell carcinoma?

Answer 11

• strong association with endometriosis of the ovary
• associated with lynch syndrome
• often low grade and early stage

Question 12

How is a diagnosis usually made?

Answer 12

-epithelial cells present in ascitic fluid

Question 13

What is a brenner tumour?

Answer 13

• tumour of transitional type epithelium
• usually benign
• may resemble cancer of the bladder due to transitional epithelium

Question 14

What is the most common germ cell tumour and what are their features?

Answer 14

• demoid cyst/teratoma
• cystic, may contain hair,teeth
• can rarely become malignant

Question 15

What are other types of germ cell tumours?

Answer 15

• immature teratoma
• yolk sac tumour
• choriocarcinoma
• mixed germ cell tumour
• dysgerminoma

Question 16

What are features of dysgerminoma?

Answer 16

• most common malignant primitive germ cell tumour

- occur in children and young women (22)

Question 17

What are examples of sex cord/stromal tumours?

Answer 17

• fibroma/thecoma
• granulosa cell tumour
• sertoli-leydig cell tumour (may produce androgens)

Question 18

What are the features of fibroma?

Answer 18

• benign

- may produce oestrogen which can cause uterine bleeding

Question 19

What are the features of granulosa cell tumour?

Answer 19

• potentially malignant

- may have oestrogenic manifestations causing abnormal uterine bleeding

Question 20

What are the important features of a metastatic tumour?

Answer 20

• must be considered if tumours are small and bilateral

- may come from GI (colon, pancreas stomach), breasts, etc

Question 21

What are common pathologies involving the fallopian tube?

Answer 21

• salpingitis
• ectopic pregnancy
• cysts and tumours
• serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma
• endometriosis