Squamous cell carcinoma originating from ovarian dermoid cyst--report of three cases

We report three cases of squamous cell carcinoma originating from ovarian dermoid cysts. All patients were postmenopausal with the chief complaints of lower abdominal pain and palpable masses found by themselves. Two of them had diabetes mellitus. The tumor sizes were all more than 10 cm. The diagnoses were made by histological examination of tissues removed at surgery. Two cases were categorized into the FIGO stage IIIc and one in stage Ia. Sonographic findings were characterized by a large adnexal mass with mixed components. An elevated serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen was found in the two cases of advanced stage and one of them also had an elevated serum CA-125 level. All reported cases were unilaterally involved without ascites at laparotomy, while omental lymph nodes metastases were noted in the two cases of advanced stage. One of the patients in the advanced stage died six months after surgery and radiation therapy due to recurrence. The other patient in the advanced stage refused further treatment even though recurrence was found five months after surgery and chemotherapy. There was no evidence of recurrence in the early stage case during the two years of follow-up.