[Ovarian tumor biology]

The authors studied endocrine ovarian tumor secretions capable of causing a clinic and/or biological syndrome. The plasmatic hormonal determinations and the in-vitro incubation methods revealed that the mesenchymal tumors discharged a full range of steroidsid hormones. Their feminizing or masculinizing clinic aspects depend on each respective hormonal ratio and on the field where they are acting. Ultrastructural studies show that steroid cells derive from the mesenchymal cells and that they often have an ambiguous structure (male or female). Tumors with functional stroma capable of producing steroïds appear to be frequent if correct plasmatic determinations and histochemical studies for their diagnosis are used. The polypeptidic hormonal secretions are much more uncommon. Aside chorioepithelioma and carcinoïde tumors in which the hormonal secretion is in agreement with the histological aspect, ACTH, TSH, PRL, para-hormone or insulin secretions responsible for endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes, may be found as well.