Ovarian Histopathology in Transmasculine Persons on Testosterone: A Multicenter Case Series

Abstract Background As transmasculine persons utilize androgen gender affirming hormone therapy as a part of transition, guidance has been lacking on the effects of the therapy on the ovaries, especially for those who may desire retention. Aim To describe the ovarian histopathology of transmasculine persons on testosterone therapy following oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy performed for gender affirmation. Methods This was a multicenter case series study of transmasculine patients on testosterone therapy who underwent hysterectomy with oophorectomy for gender affirmation between January 2015 and December 2017 at 5 tertiary care referral centers. Patients were identified by their current procedural and International Classification of Diseases codes. Outcomes Pre-, perioperative, and pathologic data were obtained from the electronic medical records and ovarian tissue descriptions from pathology reports were grouped into the following classifications: (i) simple/follicular cysts; (ii) polycystic ovaries; (iii) complex cysts; (iv) endometriomas; (v) other masses; (vi) atrophy; and (vii) normal. Results 85 patients were included in the study. At the time of oophorectomy, the mean age and body mass index of the cohort were 30.4 ± 8.4 years and 30.2 ± 7.3 kg/m2, respectively, and the average interval from the initiation of testosterone to oophorectomy was 36 0.3 ± 37.9 months. On examination of ovarian histopathology, 49.4% (42) of specimens were found to have follicular/simple cysts, 5.9% (5) were polycystic, and 38.8% (33) had normal pathology. For those specimens with volume documented (n = 41), the median volume was 9.6 (range 1.5–82.5) cm3. There was no association between the duration of testosterone therapy or body mass index and the presence of cysts in the ovaries. Clinical Implications The results of this study reported benign histopathology in ovaries of a large cohort of transmasculine persons on testosterone which should be included when counseling patients on ovarian retention, as transmasculine patients may choose to retain their ovaries while on testosterone for a variety of reasons (including no desire to undergo surgery, desire for backup sex steroids, and potential use for future fertility). Strengths & Limitations This is a large multicenter study seeking to address the uncertainty in present counseling surrounding ovarian conservation in transmasculine persons on testosterone therapy. Its limitations included its retrospective nature and inability to address ovarian function after testosterone discontinuance. Conclusion In this cohort of transmasculine patients on testosterone therapy undergoing hysterectomy with oophorectomy for gender affirmation, ovarian histopathology was benign in all the specimens.