Small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT): A rare case after in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Abstract

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a very rare and lethal tumor, mostly affecting young women, with aggressive clinical course. It has a worse prognosis in younger women and most of them died within two years of diagnosis. We are reporting a unique case of SCCOHT in a 35 years old, nulliparous lady with primary infertility in which symptomatic hypercalcemia was a presenting feature of her cancer. She was completely healthy before third cycle of IVF. Within two months of her third IVF cycle, she developed SCCOHT with a very rapid and aggressive course of disease and fatal outcome. Patient died within one month of her first symptom presentation (3 months after IVF cycle).

Keywords: Hypercalcemia; In Vitro fertilization; Ovarian cancer; SCCOHT; Small cell carcinoma.

Fig. 1

a. Hematoxylin and eosion stain (40x): Small cell carcinoma showing sheets of small rounded cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scanty cytoplasm. b. Vimentin immunostain (40x): tumor cells are strongly positive for vimentin. c. CK AE1/AE3 immunostain (40x): tumor cells are positive for CK AE1/AE3. d. Synaptophysin immunostain (40x): tumor cells are focally positive for Synaptophysin.