Well Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma of the Ovarian Surface: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

Well differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) is an unusual variant of epithelial mesothelioma. Most WDPMs exhibit either benign or indolent behavior. Making the differential diagnosis between this rare tumor and serous papillary carcinoma can be problematic. We report here on a case of a 43-year-old woman with a WDPM of the surface. She presented to our hospital for a routine gynecologic evaluation, and she had no specific symptoms or a history of asbestos exposure. Gynecologic ultrasonography revealed a right ovarian mass that measured 6 x 3.8 x 3 cm in size. No ascites was detected. Right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed; grossly, the tumor was a yellowish firm, multinodular mass. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of numerous papillae that were lined by a single layer of uniform mesothelial cells. Nuclear pleomorphism and mitoses were not found. On immunohistochemical study, the tumor cells were positive for calretinin and cytokeratin, but they were negative for CEA. It is important to differentiate WDPM from serous papillary carcinoma or other malignant tumors to avoid treating them as malignant tumors.