Primary Carcinoma of the Fallopian Tube: A Clinicopathologic Analysis of 27 Patients
Chumnan Kietpeerakool, MD*, Prapaporn Suprasert, MD*, Jatupol Srisomboon, MD*, Aree Pantusart, BSc*
Affiliation : * Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
Objectives : To analyze the clinicopathologic features of women with primary fallopian tube carcinoma.
Design : Descriptive cross sectional study
Materials and Methods : Twenty-eight women diagnosed with primary fallopian tube carcinoma treated at
Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 1997 and December 2004.
Results : During the study period, the primary fallopian tube carcinoma accounted for 0.48% of all gyneco-
logic malignancies. Of the 28 patients, one was excluded for unavailable medical records. Mean age at
diagnosis was 53 years (range, 38-76 years). Seventeen (63.0%) were menopausal women. The most common
clinical presentation was pelvic mass (55%), followed by abnormal vaginal bleeding (18.5%). Hydrops tubae
profluens was present in three (11.1%) women. The rare presenting symptoms included pelvic peritonitis and
abnormal glandular cells on cervicovaginal smear were noted in one (3.7%) woman of each category. In all
women, primary fallopian tube carcinoma could not be diagnosed preoperatively. During the operation, an
abnormal tubal lesion was suspected in only eleven (40.7%) women. Histology were serous adenocarcinoma
(70.4%), endometrioid adenocarcinoma (22.2%), undifferentiated adenocarcinoma (3.7%) and carcinosar-
coma (3.7%). As opposed to epithelial ovarian cancer, the majority of women in the present study were in the
early stages of the disease.
Conclusion : Primary fallopian tube carcinoma is a rare gynecologic malignancy that has various and
nonspecific presentations. Definite diagnosis is usually made postoperatively. This malignancy should be
considered in differential diagnosis of peri- and postmenopausal women who present with complex adnexal
mass, unexplained uterine bleeding, abnormal glandular cells on cervicovaginal smear and complicated
pelvic inflammatory disease.
Keywords : Fallopian tube carcinoma, Characteristics, Hydrops tubae profluens
