Which markers are in the IHC panel for primary ovarian sex cord tumors?

• A. Inhibin, SF-1, FOXL2
• B. SALL4, LIN26, HCG
• C. Cyclin D1, BCOR, CD10
• D. PTH, chromogranin

Answer: (A)

In ovarian tumors, identifying sex cord-stromal differentiation relies on markers that reflect gonadal lineage. Inhibin is a classic, widely used marker that tends to be positive in granulosa cells and other sex cord-stromal tumors, making it a key first clue. SF-1, a nuclear transcription factor, is expressed in gonadal stroma and supports a sex cord–stromal origin, helping to distinguish these tumors from epithelial or germ cell neoplasms. FOXL2 is especially informative for granulosa cell tumors; FOXL2 immunostaining is commonly positive and, when present, strongly supports granulosa cell differentiation. Taken together, these markers provide a reliable panel to identify primary ovarian sex cord tumors and separate them from other ovarian tumor categories. The other marker sets point to germ cell tumors or non-gonadal lineages and do not specifically indicate sex cord-stromal origin.