Abstract
The epithelial group of ovarian tumours accounts for 60% of all primary neoplasms of the ovary. All are thought usually to originate from cells in the surface epithelium of the ovary, either arising directly from that epithelium or from epithelial fragments sequestrated into the ovarian cortex to form inclusion cysts1. The ovarian surface epithelium is the adult equivalent, and direct descendant, of the coelomic epithelium which, during embryonic life, overlies the nephrogenital ridge, and from which are derived the Müllerian ducts and the structures to which these give rise. It is believed that undifferentiated cells in the surface epithelium of the postnatal ovary retain a latent capacity to differentiate along the same pathways as do their embryonic precursors, and hence a neoplasm derived from these cells can differentiate along various Müllerian pathways, those differentiating along tubal epithelial lines forming the serous group of neoplasms, those following an endocervical route being the mucinous tumours and those differentiating along an endometrial pathway forming the endometrioid group of neoplasms. The Brenner tumour usually originates from the surface epithelium but is, however, non-Müllerian in nature for the epithelial component of these neoplasms is identical with uroepithelium2: this indicates that cells in the surface epithelium also have a residual capacity for Wolffian differentiation, a not surprising potentiality in view of the close embryological relationships between Wolffian and Müllerian systems. The mesonephroid group of tumours, so called because of a historical misinterpretation of their origin, is still of slightly controversial nature; many, probably most, are of Müllerian type3 and represent a variant form of endometrial differentiation, but it remains possible that some are mesotheliomata4: it should be remembered in this respect that all these neoplasms, derived as they are from serosa, are in essence mesotheliomata though their true nature is usually concealed by various degrees of Müllerian or Wolffian differentiation. Certainly a true mesothelioma can, very rarely, develop from the ovarian surface epithelium5.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Fox, H. and Langley, F. A. (1976). Tumours of the Ovary. ( London: Heinemann Medical Books )
Roth, L. M. (1971). Fine structure of the Brenner tumor. Cancer, 27, 1482–1488
Scully, R. E. (1979). Tumors of the Ovary and Maldeveloped Gonads. Atlas of Tumor Pathology, 2nd Series, Fascicle 16. ( Washington DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology )
Okagi, J. and Richart, R. M. (1970). Mesonephroma ovarii (hypernephroid carcinoma): light microscopic and ultrastructural study of a case. Cancer, 26, 453–461
Addis, B. J. and Fox, H. (1982). Papillary mesothelioma of the ovary. Histopathology,6 (in press)
Fox, H., Kazzaz, B. and Langley. F. A. (1964). Argyrophil and argentaffin cells in the female genital tract and in ovarian mucinous cysts. J. Pathol. Bacteriol., 88, 479–488
Hughesdon, P. E. (1958). Theca) and allied reactions in epithelial ovarian tumours. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Br. Emp., 65, 702–709
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1983 H. Fox and C. H. Buckley
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fox, H., Buckley, C.H. (1983). Ovary: Benign Epithelial Neoplasms. In: Atlas of Gynaecological Pathology. Current Histopathology, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7312-2_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7312-2_25
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-015-7314-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-015-7312-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive