[Treatment of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors with preservation of fertility].

Preservation of fertility was practiced in 28 young patients with malignant germ cell tumors from 1962 through 1987. The pathologic diagnosis was immature teratoma in 16, endodermal sinus tumor in 7, dysgerminoma in 2 and germ cell tumor of mixed type in 3. At laparotomy, 16 patients proved to have stage I disease, one stage II, 9 stage III and 2 stage IV disease. The tumor was confined to one ovary in all the 22 cases operated on for the first time and the preserved ovary and uterus were normal in all 6 referred cases for recurrent diseases. Postoperative chemotherapy was given to all patients except two with stage I immature teratoma. A persistent remission was achieved in 22 patients, while 5 patients died and one was out of contact. The duration of survival was more than one year for all patients, more than 3 years in 16 cases (72.7%) and more than 5 years in 13 cases (59.1%). The menstrual periods were normal in all cases except 3, of which 2 were below the age of 12 and one failed to menstruate at the age of 19 with a hypoplastic uterus and underdeveloped secondary sex characteristics. Among 12 married patients, 7 of 10 desirous of childbirth became pregnant during follow-ups. Of these, 6 had normal term-deliveries and one is currently pregnant. The preliminary conclusion is that preservation of fertility for young patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a safe and practicable procedure in the absence of involvement of the contralateral ovary and uterus.