| Dysgerminoma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Micrograph of a dysgerminoma, H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Oncology, gynecology |
A dysgerminoma is a type of germ cell tumor;[1] it usually is malignant and usually occurs in the ovary.
A tumor of the identical histology but not occurring in the ovary may be described by an alternate name: seminoma in the testis[2] or germinoma in the central nervous system or other parts of the body.
Dysgerminoma accounts for less than 1% of ovarian tumors overall. Dysgerminoma usually occurs in adolescence and early adult life; about 5% occur in pre-pubertal children. Dysgerminoma is extremely rare after age 50. Dysgerminoma occurs in both ovaries in 10% of patients and, in a further 10%, there is microscopic tumor in the other ovary.
Abnormal gonads (due to gonadal dysgenesis and androgen insensitivity syndrome) have a high risk[3] of developing a dysgerminoma. Most dysgerminomas are associated with elevated serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), which is sometimes used as a tumor marker.
- ^ Behtash N, Karimi Zarchi M (June 2007). "Dysgerminoma in three patients with Swyer syndrome". World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 5 (1): 71. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-5-71. PMC 1934908. PMID 17587461.
- ^ "dysgerminoma" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed. Chapter 553. Question 11, Gynecologic Problems of Childhood