Carcinomas with trophoblastic differentiation and secretion of chorionic gonadotrophins

Three postmenopausal women with ovarian carcinomas, a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, and two papillary adenocarcinomas showed foci of poorly differentiated tumor with numerous giant cells. Similar histologic features were seen in a carcinoma of the uterus in an 87-year-old woman and a papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in a man. All 5 cases had urinary chorionic gonadotrophin activity ranging from 1,000 to 25,000 I. U. Immunofluorescent staining showed the presence of chorionic gonadotrophin in the tumor giant cells in all 5 patients. The basic lesion in all 5 cases was a carcinoma with areas of trophoblastic differentiation. The literature of ovarian choriocarcinomas and of carcinomas with chorionic gonadotrophin activity is reviewed.