title: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors metastatic to the ovary: a report of five cases.
abstract: Five cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumor metastatic to the ovary are reported. The average patient age was 59 years (range, 44-81 years). The primary tumor was in the small bowel or its mesentery (4 cases) or stomach (1 case). The primary and metastatic tumors were discovered synchronously in 3 cases. In the other 2 cases, the ovarian tumors were discovered 18 months before a gastric tumor was identified and 27 years after a small bowel tumor had been resected. The ovarian tumors (three of which were bilateral) were usually solid, tan, and lobulated. Microscopically, three tumors had a pure spindle cell morphology, and two both spindle and epithelioid cell components. The diagnosis in all 5 cases was confirmed with positive c-kit (CD117) and negative desmin immunostaining. Variably positive immunoreactivity for either or both h-caldesmon and smooth muscle actin was seen in all 5 cases, and 3 cases were CD34-positive. Four patients died between 1 and 6.5 years (mean, 2.8 years) from the time of ovarian tumor diagnosis. The main differential diagnostic consideration was leiomyosarcoma; the most important features to help exclude this diagnosis were an absence of tumor in the uterus, low histologic grade, and a desmin-negative, c-kit-positive immunophenotype. Other differential considerations, including endometrial stromal sarcoma and fibrosarcoma, are discussed. Most of the ovarian tumors in this series were initially diagnosed as tumors of other types, a misdiagnosis with significant therapeutic and prognostic implications because of the specific therapy now available for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
authors.affiliation: James Homer Wright Pathology Laboratories of Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. jirving@vanhosp.bc.ca
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.forename: Melinda F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lerwill
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor