Abstract
Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is rare in adolescence. The etiology of such tumors is unknown. Several reports suggest that transgenerational exposure to Diethylstilbestrol (DES) may have deleterious effects on the genitourinary tract.
The authors describe a 15-year-old girl with small cell carcinoma of the ovary whose maternal grandmother had been taking DES while she was pregnant with the patient’s mother.
This case, while anecdotal, suggests that a transgenerational history of DES exposure should be noted, and that granddaughters with persistent abdominal pain even during childhood may need evaluation for genital tract abnormalities.
Sources:
- Ovarian carcinoma in an adolescent with transgenerational exposure to diethylstilbestrol, NCBI, PMID: 12902917, 2003 Aug;25(8):635-6.
- Full text – Clinical and Laboratory Observations Volume 25 – Issue 8, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp 635-636 2003.
- Full text – A case of small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic variant in a teenager, ScienceDirect, S2211338X12000622 2012.
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