Extraovarian peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Extraovarian peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (EPSPC) is a rare cancer closely related to ovarian carcinoma and characterized by abdominal carcinomatosis without an identifiable abdominal primary tumor.


METHODS
A woman presented with ascites. She had an elevated serum CA-125. Peritoneal carcinomatosis without involvement of the ovaries was found. Paracentesis of the ascitic fluid resulted in a positive cytologic report not further suggestive of the malignancy origin, balancing between a mesothelioma and an adenocarcinoma. The histologic and immunohistochemical study of peritoneal biopsy specimens resulted in the diagnosis of EPSPC.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of cytology, histology, immunohistochemistry and clinical data is a reliable method for the preoperative diagnosis of EPSPC, allowing prompt chemotherapy as surgery may not be indicated in most cases.
Department of Cytopathology, "Tzanio" General Hospital of Pireas, Afentouli and Zanni, 18536 Pireas, Greece. eirinidoct@yahoo.gr
Sophia
S
Veroni
Kalliopi
K
Terzopoulou
Irene
I
Anagnostopoulou
Thivi
T
Vassilakaki
Xanthippi
X
Grammatoglou
Rea
R
Rammou
D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000473:pathology
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins