Dysgerminoma
• It is an ovarian counterpart of testicular seminoma.
• It accounts for 2% of all ovarian cancers. It is most common malignant germ cell tumor in females.
• Peak age group in 20 to 40 years.
• 80 to 90% to unilateral.
• Most have no endocrine function.
• They are pluripotent due to expression of OCT 3, OCT 4, and NANOG transcription factor by tumor cells.
• They also express the c-KIT receptor tyrosine kinase.
• All dysgerminomas are malignant and chemosensitive with survival more than 80%.
• Histologically tumor cells are arranged in sheets and cords (no glandular pattern seen) separated by fibrous stroma which has lymphocytic infiltrates.
• Associated with elevated placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
