title: Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor in an amenorrheic hirsute patient.
abstract: As ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors are extremely rare, it appears worthwhile to report cases with uncommon clinical and/or laboratory findings. A 37-year-old nulligravida female was referred because of secondary amenorrhea and hirsutism for 11 years. She appeared virilized with a male body habitus. The highest plasma testosterone (T) level was 1,070 ng/dl. A laparotomy with salpingo-oophorectomy was performed and the pathological report confirmed the presence of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of intermediate differentiation. Ovarian venous T value was 5,690 ng/dl. The patient was alive and well with improved hirsutism 4 years after the operation. The duration of symptoms and T level in our patient were among the highest values ever recorded in the literature. This supports the slowly progressive nature of the tumor and emphasizes that Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with elevated T level regardless of the duration of clinical symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynocology, University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Swanger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018310:Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis*