A steroid-cell tumor of the ovary resulting in massive androgen excess early in the gonadol steroidogenic pathway

We describe the case of a 30-year-old woman with an ovarian steroid-cell tumor secreting markedly elevated levels of testosterone (28.3nmol/l), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (19.7 mu mol/l), androstenedione (>34.7nmol/l) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (100.5nmol/l) into plasma. We could find no report within the literature of androgens at the levels described in our patient. We review the literature and discuss the possible endocrine etiology of the excess androgens observed in this case. We also discuss the differential diagnosis, investigation and interpretation of androgens of adrenal and ovarian origin.