Female adnexal tumors of probable Wolffian origin: morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular analysis of 15 cases

Abstract

Female adnexal tumors of probable Wolffian origin are rare and present a diagnostic challenge due to their morphological and immunohistochemical overlap with more common ovarian and broad ligament entities. We evaluated the morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features of 15 tumors of probable Wolffian origin. Patients ranged from 32 to 69 (mean 47) years and tumors from 1.8 to 30 (mean 10) cm. All except one arose in para-adnexal soft tissues. Follow-up was available for six patients, five of whom were alive and well, while the sixth, who had extra-adnexal disease at diagnosis, died from unrelated causes. The following patterns were noted: tubular (all tumors), solid 11/15 (73%), sieve-like 7/15 (47%), and reticular 1/15 (7%). A myxoid background was present in 3/15 (20%) of tumors and eosinophilic luminal secretions in 11/15 (73%). Most tumors (12/15, 80%) had low-grade nuclear atypia, while three showed foci with scattered high-grade atypia. Mitotic index ranged from 0 to 17 (mean 4) per ten high-power fields. Tumors were positive for pankeratin and negative for TTF-1. EMA, GATA3, and PAX8 were positive in 2/10 (20%; focal), 3/15 (20%; focal), and 1/15 (7%; focal) of tumors, respectively. CD10, SF-1, calretinin, inhibin, ER, PR, cytokeratin 7, and WT1 were variably expressed. Pathogenic mutations were rare and included STK11 (n = 3), APC (n = 1), and MBD4 (n = 1). Copy number variations were detected in the three tumors with STK11 mutations and a myxoid background. These data demonstrate that female adnexal tumors of probable Wolffian origin are morphologically and immunohistochemically diverse, but infrequently harbor pathogenic mutations. However, their lack of mutations in contrast to their mimickers may be a valuable tool in diagnostically difficult cases.