October - December 2023, Volume 19, Issue 4

Ataikiru U, Iacob R, Chirita-Emandi A, Galinescu M, Miron I, Popoiu C, Boia E

A 10-Year Study of Children with Gonadal Tumors and Disorders of Sex Differentiation, in Romania

Acta Endo (Buc) 2023, 19 (4): 487-496
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2023.487

Context. Children having gonadal tumors and disorder of sex differentiation (DSD) are rare. Objective. To investigate the presentation of DSD children with malignant gonadal tumors. Methods. A retrospective study from 2010- 2020, that evaluated 17 children with DSD, including 13 females, eight months to 16 years, with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 5-alpha reductase deficiency, androgen insensitivity syndrome, Turner, Sywer, and Klinefelter syndromes. Results. Ten children had malignant gonadal tumor; nine had germ cell tumors and one person granulosa cell tumors, while seven children with non-malignant tumor had gonadoblastoma, cystadenoma (five children), and cysts. Systemic malformations, obesity, elevated tumor markers, and psychosocial issues were observed in 90%, 90%, 70%, and 50% of children with malignancy unlike 28.6%, 42.9%, 14.35%, and 57.1% children without malignancy respectively. Most (9/10) children >12 years, had psychosocial issues, unlike 0/7 children ≤12 years. From 8/17 children presenting with symptoms suggestive of tumor, 75% had malignancy, while from 9/17 children with DSD presentation, 44% had malignant tumors. Malignancy was observed in 3/10 children between eight months to age six, while 7/10 children had stage 1-2 tumors. We reported a child, identified as female, aged 13 years, with partial androgen insensivity syndrome (PAIS) 46,XY, and testicular papillary serous cystadenoma with genomic variant AR NM_000044.4:c.2750del. p.(F917Sfs*27) chromosome Xq12, never published in people with PAIS nor population databases (GnomAD). Conclusion. DSD diagnosis raises numerous challenges. People with DSD have increased risk of malignancy, especially when obesity and, systemic malformations are present; also, psychosocial issues in these children are associated with postpubertal age.

Keywords: Disorders of sexual differentiation, testicular tumors, ovarian tumor, children, partial androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Correspondence: Usiwoma Okeroghene Ataikiru MD, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pediatric Surgery, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, Timisoara, Timis, 300041, Romania, E-mail: usiwomaataikiru@yahoo.com