Background: Choriocarcinoma arises in the ovary from gestational or nongestational origin. Nongestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary is extremely rare and the pure type is less frequent than the mixed type with other germ cell tumors. Diagnosis of pure nongestational choriocarcinoma is very difficult without genetic analysis.
Case: We report a pure nongestational choriocarcinoma primarily arising in a 19-year-old woman's ovary. Following abdominal operative procedure, careful examination of the tumor revealed pure choriocarcinoma without combination of other germ cell tumors. We confirmed its nongestational origin by DNA polymorphism analysis. Multiple courses of chemotherapy with an EMA/CO regimen were effective for this case.
Conclusion: Genetic analysis is useful tool in determining the origin of choriocarcinoma. We could distinguish the genetic origin of this tumor analyzing only two or three appropriate VNTR loci.