Abstract
Background : The adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) is classified as a borderline malignant ovarian tumor, characterized by its frequent relapse after long postoperative intervals. We report herein on the cytological features of a metastatic AGCT in the chest wall.
Case : A gradually enlarged mass was found in the right thorax of a 44-year-old female on chest computed tomography. Intraoperatively, the tumor was present in the pleura and had directly invaded the right lung. An intraoperative tumor touch smear showed relatively uniform round to oval cells with scant cytoplasm and fine granular chromatin. Some of these cells contained coffee bean-like longitudinal nuclear grooves. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that these cells were positive for alpha-inhibin. According to these features, metastatic AGCT was suspected based on the cytological data. Histopathological study confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic AGCT in the chest wall taking the patient’s past history of ovarian AGCT 13 years earlier into consideration.
Conclusion : It is well known that AGCTs frequently relapse after long postoperative intervals, and we sometimes experience difficulty in diagnosis of metastatic AGCT because of the unexplained patient past history. Careful observation of the cytological features, such as nuclear grooves, and immunocytochemical analysis are useful for the diagnosis of metastatic AGCT.
