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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Human Ovarian Repair and Cancer Studies with Surface Epithelium Organoids
Published on: August 16, 2024
Ovarian Leydig Cell Tumor Associated with Recurrent Torsion and Virilization in an Adolescent Patient
Lauren Roth1, Anne K Smith2, Natalia Buza3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bridgeport Hospital, Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Abstract:
Ovarian tumors are rare in children; however, their incidence increases with age. Of these ovarian tumors, Leydig cell tumors are some of the rarest, accounting for less than 0.1% of all ovarian tumors across all ages. Leydig cell tumors predominantly occur in postmenopausal women and are characterized by nodular proliferation of Leydig cells in the ovarian hilum with intracytoplasmic Reinke crystals. These tumors secrete androgens, which can disrupt ovarian function, clinically presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding and virilization. Although they are generally benign, current recommendations are for treatment with a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In adolescents, hyperandrogenism is most commonly caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS); however, the differential for hyperandrogenism is broad. We present a case of a 15-year-old girl with a history of primary amenorrhea who presented with a Leydig cell tumor associated with recurrent ovarian torsion and virilization. This case reviews the challenges with diagnosis, management, and future implications of a rare androgen-secreting tumor in young patients.
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