Ovarian tumors secreting androgens: an infrequent cause of hyperandrogenism

BACKGROUND: The sex cord-stromal tumors are relative rare, comprising 5-8% of all ovarian neoplasms. METHODS: The study androgen tumors and a description of three cases: Leydig tumor, steroid cell (NOS) tumor and Sertoli-Leydig tumor. RESULTS: Twelve patients were menopausal and one patient of reproductive age. In all cases, regardless of the histological variety, women presented symptoms of hyperandrogenism and virilization. All had increased values of total testosterone. In all cases surgical treatment was performed, with favorable clinical and biochemical evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Sex cord stromal tumors of the ovary are rare, and can be characterized by virilization for most patients. The majority of the tumors are benign, with few cases having low-grade malignancy. The suspicion and correct evaluation of these women will lead to an early diagnosis and improve their quality of life.