PSEUDOMYXOMA-PERITONEI - A CYTOHISTOPATHOLOGIC STUDY OF 9 CASES

Cytologic examination of seven peritoneal fluids from nine patients wi th pseudomyxoma peritonei revealed papillary clusters and isolated neo plastic cells. In all patients, one or both ovaries were replaced by p roliferating (borderline) mucinous epithelial tumors of grade I-II int estinal type while three patients had synchronous appendiceal tumors o f similar morphologic appearance. Four of the nine patients demonstrat ed positive correlation between the presence of neoplastic cells in th e ovarian interstitial mucin (pseudomyxoma ovarii), the extraovarian p eritoneum, and the free peritoneal fluid. Two patients demonstrated a negative correlation. The submission of an inadequate amount of ovaria n or appendiceal tissue for histologic examination may account for the discordance in three patients. It is concluded that pseudomyxoma peri tonei is a distinct clinicopathologic entity which can be subdivided i nto two types, acellular and cellular. This distinction, unlike the sp ecific cytomorphologic features, may have prognostic significance. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.