Secretion of androgens and estrogens by normal and neoplastic ovaries in postmenopausal women.

Peripheral and ovarian venous concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, estradiol-17 beta, and estrone were measured in 30 postmenopausal women. Ovarian venous concentrations of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta were 5.6 and 4.3 times the peripheral concentrations of women with normal ovaries. This suggests that the ovaries of postmenopausal women continue to secrete these two steroids. Mean peripheral testosterone concentrations in 14 postmenopausal women with a nonfunctional or functional ovarian tumor were increased significantly. Ovarian venous concentrations of these four steroids from the side draining the tumor-bearing ovary were increased in 40 to 80% of the women. The venous concentrations from the normal ovary were also increased in 22% or more of the women with an ovarian tumor. Any ovarian neoplasm in postmenopausal women may be associated with increased ovarian sex-steroid secretion.