[Pathological and endocrinological study of epithelial ovarian tumors in post-menopausal women]

We have studied 37 cases of ovarian epithelial tumors in post-menopausal women, histopathologically and endocrinologically. The normal values for androstenedione, estrone, estradiol and progesterone in healthy post-menopausal women were less than 83 ng/dl, 75 pg/ml, 30 pg/ml and 0.6 ng/ml, respectively. The numbers of cases, the serum values for which were higher than normal, were 9 of 16 (androstenedione), 9 of 16 (estrone), 22 of 29 (estradiol) and 14 of 20 (progesterone). The serum levels of these 4 sex hormones in cases with ovarian stromal condensation (stromal cell hyperplasia) were higher than normal in 8 of 11 (androstenedione), 8 of 11 (estrone), 17 of 19 (estradiol) and 9 of 12 (progesterone), whereas those in cases with no stromal condensation were elevated in 1 of 5, 1 of 5, 5 of 8 and 5 of 7, respectively. After complete removal of the tumors, these elevated sex hormone levels dropped to normal. After the dexamethasone suppression test, the suppression rates for cortisol, 17-OHCS and 17-KS were 4 times as great as those of DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate), estrone, estradiol and progesterone. 17 beta-estradiol was localized in hyperplastic ovarian stromal cells in all cases with stromal condensation. We concluded that many of the ovarian epithelial tumors produce these sex hormones and that hyperplastic stromal cells are the source an increased amount of serum estradiol.