Neuroectodermal ovarian tumors: a brief overview

Abstract

Primary neuroectodermal tumors of the ovary are rare monophasic teratomas composed exclusively or almost exclusively of neuroectodemal tissue. Approximately 60 neuroectodermal tumors of the ovary have been reported in the literature. These tumors were classified as ependymoma, astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme, ependymoblastoma or as primitive neuroepithelial tumors such as medullo-blastoma, medulloepithelioma and neuroblastoma. Most tumors were diagnosed in the third and fourth decades of life, but occasionally they were first discovered in children, adolescents or older women. Microscopically, they are identical to equivalent neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system. The review of the literature shows that most patients with clinical stage I and II were treated surgically, whereas those with stage III or IV tumors received additional radiation or chemotherapy, or both. The clinical stage at the time of diagnosis is the most important prognostic parameter of these tumors.