Ovarian granulosa cell proliferations of pregnancy: a report of nine cases.
Granulosa cell proliferations that simulated small neoplasms were incidental findings in the ovaries of nine pregnant women. The lesions were typically multiple and associated with atretic follicles. In eight cases, the granulosa cells were arranged in solid, insular, microfollicular, and trabecular patterns, but in the ninth case, there was a prominent sertoliform tubular pattern. The granulosa cells typically contained scanty cytoplasm and grooved nuclei, resembling the cells of adult-type granulosa cell tumors. However, in one case large nodules of markedly luteinized cells with variably sized, round, nongrooved nuclei were present; the nodules in this case superficially resembled pregnancy luteomas. In the case with a sertoliform pattern, the cells had abundant vacuolated cytoplasm. The lesions described probably reflect an unusual physiological response to the elevated chorionic gonadotropin level of pregnancy rather than early stages of neoplasia.
Clement
P B
PB
Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, Canada.
Young
R H
RH
Scully
R E
RE
D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005496:Follicular Atresia; D006106:Granulosa Cell Tumor / Q000473:pathology; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology