Ovarian malignant mixed mesodermal tumor with neuroectodermal differentiation: a multifaceted evaluation.

ABSTRACT

Malignant mixed mesodermal tumors (MMMTs) of the ovary are rare, highly aggressive neoplasms that arise most commonly in postmenopausal women. Histologically, they consist of a mixed population of malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements. Neuroectodermal differentiation in ovarian MMMTs is exceedingly uncommon, with only a few case reports in the literature. We present a case of an ovarian MMMT with neuroectodermal differentiation in a 78-year-old female patient. Histologically, the tumor was composed of epithelial, mesenchymal, and neuroectodermal elements. The neuroectodermal component was predominantly that of a medulloepithelioma, with scattered areas displaying features of an anaplastic astrocytoma, including rare ganglion cell differentiation. The neuroectodermal component showed immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, synaptophysin, and S100 protein. Ultrastructurally, the neuroectodermal component was populated by cells with irregular nuclei, finely dispersed chromatin, rudimentary cell junctions, and a delicate basement membrane, all of which have been described in medulloepitheliomas. DNA ploidy analysis was also performed on the various components of the tumor and compared with 3 additional cases of MMMT without neuroectodermal differentiation and 2 ovarian immature teratomas. Our findings suggest that the neuroectodermal component may arise from a separate clone or at least evolves at an earlier stage of tumor development.