A pure nongestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed with DNA polymorphism analysis.
BACKGROUND
Choriocarcinoma arises in the ovary from gestational or nongestational origin. Nongestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary is extremely rare and the pure type is less frequent than the mixed type with other germ cell tumors. Diagnosis of pure nongestational choriocarcinoma is very difficult without genetic analysis.


METHODS
We report a pure nongestational choriocarcinoma primarily arising in a 19-year-old woman's ovary. Following abdominal operative procedure, careful examination of the tumor revealed pure choriocarcinoma without combination of other germ cell tumors. We confirmed its nongestational origin by DNA polymorphism analysis. Multiple courses of chemotherapy with an EMA/CO regimen were effective for this case.


CONCLUSIONS
Genetic analysis is useful tool in determining the origin of choriocarcinoma. We could distinguish the genetic origin of this tumor analyzing only two or three appropriate VNTR loci.
Tsujioka
Hiroshi
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan. tsujioka@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Hamada
Hitoshi
H
Miyakawa
Takashi
T
Hachisuga
Toru
T
Kawarabayashi
Tatsuhiko
T
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm