Steroid production in vitro of a hilus cell tumor of the human ovary.

A 69-year-old heavily virilized woman with an androgen-producing tumor of the right ovary is described. After tumor removal, plasma testosterone levels fell from 5 to less than 0.6 ng/ml. Serum gonadotropins were low prior to surgery and rose to high levels postoperatively. Histologic examination of the right ovary revealed a hilus cell tumor. Incubation of small specimens of tumor tissue for 2 hours in oxygenated Krebs bicarbonate buffer containing glucose and bovine serum albumin yielded a release of predominantly testosterone and androstenedione into the medium. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) added to the medium had no effect on steroid release. Incubation of tumor tissue in vitro may provide a useful functional adjuvant to the morphologic characterization of hormone-producing ovarian tumors. Such combined studies may increase our knowledge of the much-debated histogenesis of these tumors.