title: Histologic features of surgically removed fallopian tubes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fallopian tube is a common specimen in a pathology laboratory. It may be examined either alone as a salpingectomy or tubal ligation specimen, or as part of a more complex specimen from a hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy operation. Although the common histologic findings in the fallopian tube have been described previously, to our knowledge no study has documented the frequency of histologic changes in fallopian tubes removed for all reasons or associations with clinical history.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides from 287 fallopian tube specimens were reviewed without knowledge of the clinical history. Three categories and associated subcategories of histologic findings were identified (listed in descending order of frequency): stromal and architectural alterations (fibrosis, intramuscular edema, cellular luminal contents, inclusion cysts, Walthard nests, pigmentosis tubae, Wolffian duct remnants, decidualized stroma, endosalpingiosis, and metastatic carcinoma), epithelial characteristics (cytologic atypia, vacuolization, metaplasia, and tufting), and inflammatory changes (intramuscular mast cells, plasma cells, neutrophils, and lymphoid follicles). Histologic findings were correlated with clinical history, surgery type, and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intramuscular edema was identified in 12.5% of specimens, most frequently in postpartum women. Plical fibrosis (35.5% of specimens), epithelial atypia (7.3%), epithelial vacuolization (6.6%), and epithelial tufting/stratification (3.5%) correlated with increased patient age. Inflammatory cells were relatively common; 69% of specimens contained intramuscular mast cells, 19.9% had stromal plasma cells, 10.5% had neutrophils, and 2.1% had lymphoid follicles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides data that may be valuable for surgical pathologists involved in identifying and characterizing common histologic changes in surgically removed fallopian tubes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 15213, USA. HUNTJL@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Amy A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lynn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged