Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary in a 14-year-old girl: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Background Ovarian epithelial tumors are common in adults, and their peak incidence of onset is over 40 years of age. In children, most ovarian tumors are germ cell-derived, whereas epithelial tumors are rare and mostly benign. Case presentation This report describes a case of a 14-year-old Chinese girl with ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. She was admitted with a small amount of bloody vaginal discharge during the past month. Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen and pelvis showed a large solid cystic mass lesion in the left ovary. Tumor marker levels were within normal limits ( CA-125: 22.3 U/mL, HE4: 28.5 pmol/L, HCG: < 1.20 mIU/ml, AFP: 3.3 ng/ml, CEA: 2.2 ng/ml, CA19-9: < 2.0 U/mL). Laparoscopic exploration revealed a large left ovarian tumor. The patient underwent left salpingo-oophorectomy, and showed no significant issues during follow-up, as well as no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions We report the first pediatric case of ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in China. Given the scarcity of reports addressing the clinical management of this condition, the present study provides a useful contribution to its further understanding in light of developing future treatment strategies.