Ovarian tumor with masculinizing syndrome

THE OVARIAN THECA CELL Part IV–The Hyperthecosis Syndrome

“…So strong has been the hold of traditional thought upon most gynaecologists and gynaecological pathologists concerning the ovarian theca cell tumour, that, even though the thecomas they (Diddle and O'Connor, 1951) were discussing exhibited androgenic propensities, they still classified them under the heading of feminizing ovarian tumours. Yet more and more evidence is accumulating to show that the theca cell tumour is often masculinizing (Traut and Marchetti, 1940;Blackmun, 1942;Stout, 1946;Patton and Patton, 1948;Reycraft, 1949). Such was the case with the tumour herein described (Case 37); a tumour which caused persistent amenorrhoea for more than 34 years and so depressed the uterus that it measured only 14 inches with the uterine sound.…”

The Ovarian Theca Cell

“…Strong evidence is accumulating to show that the actual source of androgen in the ovary is probably the theca cell. Cases of ovarian thecal activity and theca-cell turnours associated with masculinization have recently been reported (Geist and Gairies, 1942 ;Blackmun, 1942 ;Fraenkel, 1943;Stout, 1946;Twombly, 1946;Yatton and Patton, 1948;Culiner and Shippel, 1949). Iverson (1947) in her clinicopathological survey of masculinizing turnours of the ovary has suggested that the interstitial cells of arrhenoblastomata, and the polyhedral lipoid containing cells of " virilizing lipoid cell " turnours, are closely related to the paralutein or theca lutein cells of normal ovaries.…”