Luteoma of pregnancy

Abstract

Seven patients are presented, 6 with luteomas of pregnancy and 1 with hyperreactio luteinalis. The mean age as 31,7 years and 4 patients had bilateral tumours. Only 1 of these patients was treated with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, while 1 patient with a unilateral tumour had only a wedge biopsy. In all instances the remaining 'tumour' regressed, supporting the thesis that luteomas represent an unusual response of ovarian stromal cells to the altered hormonal levels of pregnancy. About 30% of patients with luteomas of pregnancy will be virilized, and about 50% of female infants from these patients will be masculinized. About 112 patients with luteomas of pregnancy have been reported in the literature. the differential diagnosis includes theca lutein cysts, the oedematous ovary syndrome and luteinized forms of ovarian stromal tumours.