pathological and endocrinological study of epithelial ovarian tumors in postmenopausal women we have studied 37 cases of ovarian epithelial tumors in postmenopausal women histopathologically and endocrinologically the normal values for androstenedione estrone estradiol and progesterone in healthy postmenopausal women were less than 83 ngdl 75 pgml 30 pgml and 06 ngml respectively the numbers of cases the serum values for which were higher than normal were 9 of 16 androstenedione 9 of 16 estrone 22 of 29 estradiol and 14 of 20 progesterone the serum levels of these 4 sex hormones in cases with ovarian stromal condensation stromal cell hyperplasia were higher than normal in 8 of 11 androstenedione 8 of 11 estrone 17 of 19 estradiol and 9 of 12 progesterone whereas those in cases with no stromal condensation were elevated in 1 of 5 1 of 5 5 of 8 and 5 of 7 respectively after complete removal of the tumors these elevated sex hormone levels dropped to normal after the dexamethasone suppression test the suppression rates for cortisol 17ohcs and 17ks were 4 times as great as those of dheas dehydroepiandrosteronesulfate estrone estradiol and progesterone 17 betaestradiol was localized in hyperplastic ovarian stromal cells in all cases with stromal condensation we concluded that many of the ovarian epithelial tumors produce these sex hormones and that hyperplastic stromal cells are the source an increased amount of serum estradiol