Magnetic Resonance Appearance of Pulmonary Type of Primary Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary: A Case Report and Literature Review

The pulmonary type of primary small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCOPT) is a rare aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, usually occurring in postmenopausal women. Few literatures have emphasized on the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features. In this paper, we analyze its MR imaging findings in combination with pathological manifestations. We report a case of a 51-year-old woman who presented with abdominal pain and distension. Several tumor markers were elevated. MR scan of the pelvis was performed. It revealed a heterogeneous lobulated mass with solid and cystic components originating from the right adnexa. The patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Histology showed a tumor comprising areas of classical small-cell carcinoma, and SCCOPT was diagnosed based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. SCCOPT is a rare aggressive malignancy with certain characteristic imaging features. The solid component exhibits slightly higher signal on T2-weighted imaging with fat suppression, restricted diffusion on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and honeycomb-like persistent enhancement. More data are needed to better understand its specific imaging manifestations.