Endosalpingiosis of the axillary lymph nodes--primary or metastatic tumour?

• Published in: Chirurgia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990) Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 297 - 300
• Main Authors: Stolnicu, Simona, Mocan, Simona, Coros, M F, Rădulescu, Doiniţa, Bara, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Romanian
• Published: Romania 01.05.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Axilla; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous - secondary; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous - surgery; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymph Nodes - surgery; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary - diagnosis; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary - surgery; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - secondary; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1221-9118

The involvement of extra-abdominal sites by serous ovarian tumours of low malignant potential is extremely rare. In this paper we present the case of a 33 years old woman, diagnosed with atypical endosalpingiosis in the axillary lymph nodes before the diagnosis of a bilaterally ovarian serous tumour of low malignant potential. The occurrence of axillary lymph nodes involvement associated with serous tumours of the ovary could be explained by the presence of circulating serous cells that remained dormant for a period of time or by the development of an independent primary tumour from glandular inclusions in axillary lymph nodes. The recognition of the occurrence of axillary atypical endosalpingiosis in association with serous tumours of the ovary is important to avoid misdiagnosis. It is better to define these lesions as secondary serous papillary involvement.