Malignant transformation of mucinous ovarian cystadenomas of intestinal epithelial type

Abstract

Human benign (116) and 18 borderline malignant mucinous ovarian cystadenomas were studied. Their epithelial lining was compared with normal epithelium of the uterine cervix and that of the small and large intestines, by light microscopy, EM and histochemically. This morphological and histochemical analysis permitted the subdivision of mucinous cystadenomas into cervical, mixed and intestinal epithelial types. The epithelial cells of intestinal type tumors exhibited histochemical reactions very similar to, or identical with, those found in both immature and mature cells of intestinal mucosa. Malignant transformation was found in intestinal type mucinous cystadenomas only. Ultrastructural investigations of 6 neoplasms (4 of intestinal and 2 of cervical epithelium type) confirmed the results found with the light microscope.