Ovarian heterologous Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors with gastrointestinal-type epithelium. An immunohistochemical analysis.

Eight ovarian heterologous Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors containing gastrointestinal-type cells, including two tumors that contained carcinoids, were stained for argyrophilia and argentaffinity; in addition, these specimens were stained by immunohistocytochemical techniques for the demonstration of chromogranin, serotonin, and a variety of peptide hormones. Intestinal- and gastric-type epithelial and carcinoid cells within the tumors were focally argyrophilic and chromogranin-positive, but only intestinal-type epithelial and carcinoid cells contained argentaffin granules, serotonin, and corticotropin. Somatostatin, gastrin, neurotensin, and glucagon were demonstrated additionally in varying numbers of specimens containing intestinal-type epithelium and carcinoid, and somatostatin was present in gastric-type epithelium in one case. Staining for calcitonin and insulin was negative. Despite the frequent identification of serotonin and peptide hormones in the tumors in the present series, evidence of the carcinoid syndrome or syndromes associated with peptide hormone excess was lacking on review of the patients' records.