Krukenberg tumors of the ovary: a clinicopathologic analysis of 112 cases.

The records from 1965 to 1985 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Kurume University Hospital were reviewed. In this period, 112 cases were fulfilled the criteria of Krukenberg tumor and they were carefully screened to clinical history, physical findings, operative findings, and histologic character of the lesion. The incidence of Krukenberg tumors in all ovarian cancer was 17.8%. The average age was 45.4 years with ranged from 23 to 71. As expected from this age distribution, 73 patients (65%) were 50 years of age or younger. A primary carcinoma of the stomach was found in 78 (69.6%) of 112 patients. In three cases, the Krukenberg tumors were associated with a recent pregnancy. Two cases were associated with ovarian dermoid cyst. Microscopically, both ovaries were involved in all cases that could be evaluated for bilaterality. The relation between age distribution and histological characteristics was examined. Signet-ring type carcinomas were observed frequently in young women and gland-formation type carcinomas in older women. Stromal hyperplasia of the tumors were remarkably common in younger women. In the patients with a recent pregnancy, the abdominal mass developed rapidly after delivery. In addition, estrogen receptors were present in all experimented cases. The above results suggested that estrogen influences tumor development and the histological character many of Krukenberg tumor.