Ultrastructure of the gonad in the testicular feminization syndrome

The ultrastructural findings on the gonad from a patient with testicular feminization syndrome (TFS) are reported. One gonad was the site of dysgerminoma. The other was a dysgenetic testis composed of seminiferoud and Sertoli cell tubules and ovarian cortical stroma-like tissue. Ultrastructurally the tubules were lined by immature Sertoli cells and cells indistinguishable from dark ovarian stromal cells. Similar and/or identical cells were found in the ovarian-like stroma and in the interstitial tissue between the tubules. There were mature and immature Leydig cells in the intertubular areas. The ovarian cortical-like tissue contained dark and light cells like the normal ovary. Some of the dark cells contained fat droplets like thecoma cells. All these findings point to the dysgenetic nature of the gonad in the TFS as well as the functional activity and or inactivity of certain cells found in it.