Ovarian germ cell tumors in children: A clinical study of 66 patients

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Abstract
Background: Ovarian germ cell tumors are rare in childhood. The aim of this study is to review clinical presentation, management, and outcome in a two‐center series of girls with ovarian germ cell tumor.Procedure: The records of 66 patients (median age 9 years) with histologically proven ovarian germ cell tumor (either benign or malignant), treated over a 44‐year‐span, were reviewed.Results: Pain and an abdominal mass were the most frequent symptoms. The tumors were right‐sided in 35, left‐sided in 28, and bilateral in 3. Most patients (52) were stage I, 4 were stage II, 6 stage III, and 1, with liver metastases, stage IV. Sixteen patients had an emergency operation for tumor torsion. Unilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy was the most frequently performed procedure (n = 46), and ovarian‐sparing tumorectomy was performed in 9 patients (one bilaterally). Histologically, teratomas were found most frequently (mature: 45, immature: 9), followed by mixed tumors (n = 7), yolk sac tumors (n = 3), dysgerminoma (n = 2), gonadoblastoma (n = 2), and embryonal carcinoma (n = 1). Surgical removal of the tumor with or without the ovary and/or adnex was the sole treatment in 55 patients, chemotherapy was administered in 10 and radiotherapy + chemotherapy in one. Intra‐operative spillage of tumoral fluid occurred in six; this did not influence outcome in five. Recurrence was observed in three patients. Two patients, with malignant disease, died. The 64 survivors are now between 8 months and 44 years after treatment.Conclusions: With a recurrence rate of 4.5% and a mortality rate of 3%, this series confirms the excellent prognosis for girls with ovarian germ cell tumor (GCT). Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006, 46:459–464.

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