title: Nuclear findings of ovarian surface epithelial tumors.
abstract: While cytoplasmic features of ovarian surface epithelial tumors are well-known, the nuclear findings have received little attention. We reviewed imprint cytology materials of the ovary which were collected at the Kawasaki Medical School Hospital between January 1989-July 1999, and identified 15 mucinous cystadenomas, 3 borderline mucinous tumors, 4 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, 4 serous cystadenomas, 4 borderline serous tumors, 7 serous cystadenocarcinomas, 6 endometrioid carcinomas, and 2 clear-cell adenocarcinomas. We microscopically observed nuclear findings of the 45 cases. Coffee-bean nuclei were observed in 15.0%, 15.8%, and 10.1% of the tumor cells in mucinous adenomas, borderline mucinous tumors, and borderline serous tumors, respectively. The frequencies of the coffee-bean nuclei in the three tumors were higher than in the remaining tumors (P < 0.001). Intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions were observed in 2.1% of the tumor cells in mucinous cystadenoma, and their frequency was significantly higher than that in cases of other surface epithelial ovarian tumors (P < 0.001). Semilunar-shaped nuclei were seen in all cases of mucinous cystadenomas and borderline mucinous tumors, and in 3 of 4 mucinous adenocarcinomas. The remaining surface epithelial tumors did not reveal the semilunar-shaped nuclei. In the cytology of the ovary, the semilunar nuclei are characteristic of mucinous tumors, and the intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusion may be a diagnostic clue to mucinous cystadenoma, when it is conspicuous. The coffee-bean nuclei can be seen in mucinous cystadenoma, borderline mucinous tumors, and borderline serous tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan. hirokawa@basic.med.tokusyima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kohno
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000473:pathology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*