Primary peritoneal psammocarcinoma: a case presenting synchronously with bowel carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Psammocarcinomas are rare epithelial tumors usually originating from the ovarian surface epithelium or the peritoneum. In our case, a peritoneal psammocarcinoma was incidental surgical finding during laparotomy.


METHODS
An 83-year-old woman underwent surgery for bowel obstruction. Intraoperativelly, a bowel carcinoma was documented. Notable were numerous small disseminated peritoneal nodules that studded the omentum and bowel serosa. At reintervention, similar nodules were observed in the serosal surface of the two ovaries, uterus, left salpinx, and omentum. The nodules corresponded histologically to psammocarcinoma of peritoneal origin. Despite not receiving adjuvant treatment, the patient is still alive 53 months following the second operation, without signs of metastases or disease recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Though unpredictable, psammocarcinomas might run an indolent course, and decisions regarding management should be individualized.
Koumoundourou
D
D
Department of Pathology, Patras University Medical School, Greece.
Michail
G
G
Kourounis
G
G
Ravazoula
P
P
D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*