Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising From a Mature Cystic Teratoma of Ovary: A Rare Case

Mature cystic teratoma accounts for 10-20 % of all ovarian tumors. Malignant transformation is very rare in mature cystic teratoma, its incidence being 1-2% and is commonly seen in post menopausal women with tumor size larger than 10 cm. Pre-operative diagnosis of this entity is difficult due to non specific clinical & radiological features and no specific tumor markers. Malignant change occurs either from epidermal or from bronchial lining. Prognosis of this tumor is poor. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a mature cystic teratoma of the ovary in a 55 year old post menopausal women, presenting with abdominal mass & pain. Radiologically she was diagnosed as right ovarian cyst with uterine fibroids. Abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salphingo-oophorectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma arising from a mature cystic teratoma of right ovary with involvement of myometrium and lateral wall of cervix. One should be aware of this condition to avoid it’s under diagnosis when a post menopausal women presents with a large cystic teratoma of the ovary.