Objective: To study the magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of the ovarian involvement of small round cell tumors.
Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed in 5 patients seen at this institution and in 7 patients reported in the literature with ovarian small round cell tumors. Laterality, signal intensity, existence of hemorrhage, calcification, necrosis, septa, cerebroid appearance, and peripheral cysts were evaluated.
Results: Seven patients had bilateral disease, and the others had unilateral disease. The signal intensity was low on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) in all cases. Signal on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and the degree of contrast enhancement varied. No case showed hemorrhage or calcification. Only 1 case demonstrated necrosis. Septa were observed in 3 cases, and a cerebroid appearance was observed in 5 cases. Six patients of reproductive age had multiple small cysts at the periphery of the masses.
Conclusion: Despite the limited number of cases, peripheral small cysts in the large lobulated solid mass seemed to be a characteristic of the ovarian small round cell tumors in patients of reproductive age.