Leydig (Sympathicotropic) Cell Tumor of the Ovary: Report of a Case With Virilism, Including Postmortem Findings

ONE of the rarest of virilizing ovarian tumors is a tumor of the Leydig cells. These cells, which lie in the hilus of the ovary, were first described by Berger as cytologically identical with testicular Leydig cells (1). Because of their close relation to the sympathetic nerves, he called them “sympathicotropic” cells. Berger later showed that virilization could be caused by a diffuse hyperplasia or adenoma of these cells (2, 3). Only 4 cases of Leydig cell tumors with virilization have thus far been described (2, 4, 5). Another, reported by Dreyfus and Barrozo do Amaral, was obscured by the simultaneous presence of an adrenal tumor (6). Berger feels that 2 others, reported by Cosasesco et al. (7) and by Giordano and Haymond (8) as luteinomas, belong to the same group. In the case recently described by Waugh, Venning and McEachern, an endocrine study was made (4). In the patient reported here, an independent carcinoma of the lung confused the clinical picture and resulted in her demise. This permitted the first autopsy observation in a patient with Leydig cell tumor of the ovary.