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Objective: To compare clinical and histologic features between fallopian tube cancers in women with germline BRCA mutations and sporadic cases., Methods: Twenty-eight patients with fallopian tube cancer had BRCA mutation testing using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and protein truncation testing. Histologic slides were reviewed by 2 pathologists, and immunohistochemical staining for p53, ki67, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor was performed on carcinomas and dysplastic and benign tubal epithelia., Results: Twelve of 28 (43%) women had BRCA mutations: 11 BRCA1, 1 BRCA2. Excluding 4 cases found at prophylactic surgery, the median age of diagnosis of BRCA mutation carriers was 57 years compared with 65 years among sporadic cases (P = .09). Patients with BRCA-associated fallopian tube cancer had a median survival time of 68 months compared with 37 months when compared with sporadic cases (P = .14). Both groups had predominantly advanced stage, high grade, serous fallopian tube cancers. No patient had exclusively proximal disease. Occult fallopian tube cancer diagnosed at prophylactic surgery in BRCA mutation carriers was exclusively distal. "Skip" areas of high-grade dysplasia were only seen in 2 patients, both of whom were BRCA mutation carriers. There were no differences in the immunohistochemical staining for p53, ki67, estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor in carcinomas and dysplastic or benign epithelia of patients with or without BRCA mutations. Overexpression of p53 was commonly seen in fallopian tube cancers and dysplastic epithelium, but rarely noted in benign epithelium., Conclusion: Fallopian tube cancer is part of the BRCA mutation phenotype and seems to share many clinical features with sporadic fallopian tube cancers, including no exclusively proximal disease. The presentation of BRCA-associated fallopian tube cancers may, however, occur at a younger age and have an improved survival.

Background: Fallopian tube carcinoma is a rare gynecologic malignancy. The majority of women present with vaginal bleeding and have advanced disease., Case: A 76-year-old woman presented 34 years after vaginal hysterectomy with a routine Papanicolaou smear showing adenocarcinoma. Rectovaginal examination was remarkable for thickening at the vaginal apex. Colposcopy found a pinpoint opening in this area, and a cytobrush passed through the opening confirmed adenocarcinoma. Pelvic ultrasound, computed tomography scan, and CA 125 were normal. At laparotomy, the right fallopian tube and ovary were adherent to the vaginal apex. A grade II papillary serous adenocarcinoma confined to the tube was discovered., Conclusion: According to a MEDLINE search, this is the third report detailing a unique presentation of fallopian tube carcinoma after hysterectomy and possibly the first detected with positive Papanicolaou cytology.

Background: Angiomyofibroblastoma is a rare tumor that occurs most commonly in the vulva and vagina., Case: A 28-year-old woman, gravida 1, para 1, presented with secondary infertility. Pelvic ultrasound showed a multicystic mass that further imaging found to be septated and extended to the umbilicus. At laparotomy, a 25 x 14 x 4 cm mass originating from the left fallopian tube and the tube were excised. Pathologic examination confirmed an angiomyofibroblastoma of the fallopian tube., Conclusion: Angiomyofibroblastomas can occur in the fallopian tube and should be differentiated from more aggressive angiomyxoma.

Objective: To evaluate the role of second-look laparotomy following platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with fallopian tube cancer., Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 35 patients with tubal cancer who underwent a second-look laparotomy following cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based combination chemotherapy., Results: The distribution by stage was as follows: I, three (9%); II, five (14%); III, 24 (69%); and IV, two (6%); one patient was inadequately staged. The tumor grade was recorded in 31 patients, and 80% of these were grade 2 or 3. Twenty-one of the 35 patients (60%) were found to be free of disease at second-look operation. Neither stage nor grade were predictive of findings at the second-look procedure, although none of the five patients with stage I disease and/or grade 1 tumor had disease found at second-look surgery. The absence of gross residual disease following primary surgery was the strongest predictor of disease-free status at second-look laparotomy (P < .01). With a mean follow-up of 50 months among the survivors, only four (19%) of the patients with no evidence of tumor at reexploration have had a recurrence., Conclusion: Second-look laparotomy provides useful prognostic information in patients with tubal cancer; approximately 80% of patients who have a negative second-look following platinum-based chemotherapy will remain disease-free.

Background: Fewer than 100 cases of leiomyoma of the fallopian tube have been described in the literature; most of them are asymptomatic., Case: A woman presented with a tubal pregnancy which, at laparotomy, proved to be distal to a leiomyoma of the tube., Conclusion: Tubal myomas may predispose to tubal implantation of a conceptus. To our knowledge, this is the first time a tubal leiomyoma and a tubal pregnancy have been reported in the English literature.

A 49-year-old woman presented with a profuse watery vaginal discharge 16 years after a vaginal hysterectomy. Pelvic examination revealed clear fluid leaking from the vaginal apex. Cytologic evaluation of the draining fluid was normal, as was a biopsy of the vaginal apex. A vesicovaginal fistula was suspected. Intravenous pyelogram and cystogram did not reveal communication of the urinary tract with the fistula. Injection of radiopaque dye through the fistula tract demonstrated a 5-7-cm enclosed cystic space with a 4-cm pedunculated mass within the cyst lumen. Exploratory surgery revealed fallopian tube carcinoma involving the right tube. The tumor mass was completely excised, and there was no evidence of spread beyond the encapsulated cystic fallopian tube. The woman was treated with six cycles of cisplatin combination chemotherapy, and after 5 years remains free of disease.

We describe the occurrence of a mature cystic teratoma of the fallopian tube discovered at laparoscopy for an ectopic pregnancy. Only five previous reports of this concurrence have been found in the medical literature. We review the reported cases of tubal teratoma and summarize all cases found with an ectopic tubal pregnancy.

Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is uncommon and is often treated using regimens active in ovarian carcinoma. Evidence is scant that such therapies benefit patients with fallopian tube carcinoma. Between December 1979 and July 1988, we treated 18 patients who had adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube with the combination of cisplatin (50 mg/m2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) administered intravenously on 1 day every 28 days. Histologic confirmation of fallopian tube carcinoma was obtained before entry in the study. Three patients had stage I disease, five had stage II, nine had stage III, and one had stage IV. Sixteen patients received the combination therapy as first-line treatment after cytoreductive surgery, and two patients received it for recurrent carcinoma. Seven patients had clinically measurable disease at the start of therapy. Two of these patients had a complete clinical response, two had stable disease, and three had progressive disease. Eight of the 15 patients with stages II-IV disease underwent second-look laparotomy; four had a complete response to therapy and four had a partial response, making the overall response rate 53%. The toxicity of the regimen was moderate. The median survival was 81 months. Patients with stages II-IV disease had a median survival of 43.9 months and a progression-free survival of 22.5 months. This regimen appears to be active in fallopian tube carcinoma and can result in response rates comparable to those reported for epithelial ovarian cancer.

A review of 79 cystic lesions found in the routine study of the fallopian tube and its surrounding areas between the years 1980 and 1982, revealed that the majority of the lesions represented accessory lumina of the fallopian tube. These tubal cysts commonly have been described as hydatids or parovarian cysts, but their relationship to the normal tube has not been identified clearly, their frequency has not been determined, their clinical significance rarely has been considered, and their embryologic origin remains imperfectly understood.

Forty-one cases of primary fallopian tube carcinoma treated at our institution over the years 1946 to 1976 are described. The overall 5-year survival rate was 34.4%, although patients with early tumors had a 72.7% survival rate. The single most important factor affecting survival appeared to be the extent of disease at the time of diagnosis. Past and present treatment modalities are discussed, and proposals for management of this disease are outlined.

A case of ectopic pancreas in the fallopian tube is reported. This small, polypoid, benign tumor was in a fallopian tube contralateral to a ruptured tubal pregnancy. The patient had a tubal ligation performed six years previously. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case of isolated ectopic pancreas in a fallopian tube. No explanation is offered for the pathogenesis of this lesion.

The first reported case of primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the fallopian tube is presented. Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube and adenosquamous lesions of the endometrium and ovary are discussed. The aggressive potential and increasing frequency of adenosquamous carcinoma in the female genital tract are emphasized.

A case is presented of a patient with hydatidiform mole of the fallopian tube and coexisting intrauterine pregnancy. Pulmonary metastases from the tubal mole developed and were successfully treated with actinomycin D.

Multifocal disease, both benign and malignant, is seen commonly in the lower genital canal. Conversely, malignancies developing concomitantly in the uterus and ovary are frequently diagnosed as metastatic disease. In this series of 54 cases, the overall five-year survival was 72%, and 90% when the lesions were limited to the uterus and ovary, demonstrating that these lesions are multifocal and not metastatic. Furthermore, the frequency with which endometriosis is found in association with these malignancies dictates that the adjunctive therapy should probably be progesterone in most instances.

There have been 45 cases of cystic teratomas reported in the literature and, although all reports have been extensive, they were not summarized until 1972. Because this condition is rare, it is important to develop accurate statistics on cystic teratoma. The case reported here is the 46th to be reported and the 45th case of benign cystic teratoma.

The authors have reassessed the anatomic distribution of ectopic endometrium by the laparoscopic study of the location of implants, adhesions, and uterine position in 182 consecutive patients with infertility and endometriosis. The ovary was the most common site of implants with 54.9% having either unilateral or bilateral involvement. This was followed, in order of frequency, by the posterior broad ligament (35.2%), the anterior cul-de-sac (34.6%), the posterior cul-de-sac (34.0%), and the uterosacral ligament (28.0%). Adhesion formation followed the same anatomic distribution. No patients were noted to have endometriosis of the cervix and vagina. Endometriosis of the anterior compartment (anterior cul-de-sac, anterior broad ligament, and anterior uterine serosa) was significantly more common in patients with anterior uteri (40.7%) versus patients with posterior uteri (11.8%, P less than .0005). Exclusive anterior compartment disease was found only in patients with anterior uteri, and significantly more commonly in patients with severely anteflexed uteri (P less than .005). These data suggest that factors influencing implantation of retrograde menstrual debris include: the dependent pooling of peritoneal fluid as affected by uterine position; epithelial cell type at the site of implantation; unique ovarian susceptibility; route of entry; and mobility of the pelvic structures. The data support the Sampson hypothesis of retrograde menstruation as the primary model of development of endometriosis.

A case of endometrioid carcinoma arising in endometriosis of the fallopian tube is described. One case of tubal endometrioid carcinoma has been reported previously, but the entity has not hitherto been recognized among primary fallopian tube tumors. The clinical presentations, histopathology, and pathogenesis of this rare tumor are discussed.

Seventy-one cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston were reviewed. The most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and vaginal discharge. The most common physical finding was a palpable abdominal or pelvic mass. The preoperative diagnosis was correct for two patients. Initial therapy consisted of surgery alone, surgery plus radiation therapy, surgery plus chemotherapy, and a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy in 10, 32, 21, and eight cases, respectively. The median survival for patients in these treatment groups was 33, 22, 27, and 22 months, respectively; the median survival for all patients was 23 months. No statistically significant differences emerged among the survival curves of patients treated with each of the above regimens.

Proliferative epithelial lesions of the oviduct have been called adenomatous hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ. In order to assess the incidence and significance of these lesions, we sectioned entire oviducts from 124 nonselected hysterectomies. We found 23 cases (18.5%) with lesions corresponding to those described in the literature. We have found no justification for diagnosing and treating these lesions as carcinoma in situ. There appears to be an association with salpingitis.

The present report of 16 new cases of fallopian tube carcinoma also includes 2 new cases of adenoacanthoma, an exceedingly rare tumor. The histologic evaluation of tubal carcinoma is discussed. A meticulous search at surgery for occult disease is urged, because penetration of the tubal serosa seems to be the most important determinant of prognosis. Suggestions are made for adjunctive therapy, although the authors believe the time has come for a multicentered attempt to evaluate treatment protocols randomly.

Endosalpingiosis is defined as ectopic tubal epithelium and is considered homologous with endometriosis. In its usual form, the lesion is asymptomatic and has no serious prognostic associations. Recognition of endosalpingiosis, however, is important in avoiding overdiagnosis of disseminated lesions. The possibility of carcinoma--usually serous--arising primarily in a focus of endosalpingiosis is discussed.

A primary malignant teratoma of the uterine tube, encountered in a 22-year-old female, is described. Forty-four cases of benign "teratomas" of the oviduct have previously been reported. This appears to be the first reported malignant teratoma of the uterine tube.

One hundred fifteen women with carcinoma of the fallopian tube were examined in this retrospective review. A third of the patients were nulliparous and 37% had evidence of old pelvic inflammatory disease. The most common symptoms were bleeding, pain, and/or vaginal discharge. Prognostic factors that predicted death from tumor were the presence of extratubal disease at initial surgery and the bulk of residual tumor left after the initial surgery. With disease limited to the fallopian tube, the depth of invasion of the tubal wall was correlated with the risk of treatment failure. Among patients with disease limited to their fallopian tubes, there was no statistically significant improvement in survival with the addition of either pelvic irradiation or single-agent chemotherapy. Among women with extrapelvic disease, survival improved significantly with the use of cis-platinum-containing multiagent chemotherapy.

A systematic pathologic study was done of the paratubal and parametrial tissues, submitted along with distal tubal segments excised for sterilization and with uteri (with or without attached adnexa) removed for common gynecologic conditions. Heterotopic ovarian hilus cell rests were noted in 12 cases, giving an overall incidence of 0.52% (12/2299). These cell rests, confined exclusively to the endosalpinx and perisalpinx, were easily differentiated from pregnancy-related decidual nodules, Walthard rests, foci of paratubal endometriosis, and ectopic adrenal rests.