Serous cystadenoma of the ovary

Serous cystadenoma of the ovary is a common benign finding in the ovary.

It is also known as ovarian serous cystadenoma. It is unrelated the the pancreatic serous cystadenoma.

Serous cystadenofibroma and adenofibroma of the ovary can be considered variants, and are also dealt with in this article.

General

• Benign.
• Very common.
• Not related to the serous cystadenoma of the pancreas.
• Thought to arise from a cortical inclusion cyst that has undergone Muellerian metaplasia - see mesothelial inclusion cyst.

Gross

• Usually unilocular.

Image

• Serous cystadenoma (webpathology.com).

Microscopic

Features:

• Simple epithelium with cilia - key feature.
  • Cell morphology: columnar, cuboidal or flatted.

Note:

• May have calcifications - uncommon.

DDx:

• Cortical inclusion cyst - see mesothelial inclusion cyst.
• Ovarian serous borderline tumour.

Note - the following may be lumped with this entity:

• Serous cystadenofibroma.
• Adenofibroma.

Images

• Serous cystadenofibroma - low mag. (webpathology.com).
• Serous cystadenofibroma - high mag. (webpathology.com).

Sign out

OVARY, LEFT, CYSTECTOMY:
- BENIGN SEROUS CYSTADENOMA.

FALLOPIAN TUBE AND (PARTIAL) OVARY, LEFT, RESECTION:
- COMPATIBLE WITH SEROUS CYSTADENOMA.
- BENIGN OVARIAN PARENCHYMA WITH FOCAL EDEMA AND A BENIGN CALCIFICATION.
- FALLOPIAN TUBE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

Cystadenofibroma

FALLOPIAN TUBE AND OVARY, LEFT, UNILATERAL SALPINGO-OOPHORECTOMY:
- OVARY WITH BENIGN SEROUS CYSTADENOFIBROMA.
- FALLOPIAN TUBE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

FALLOPIAN TUBES AND OVARIES, BILATERAL SALPINGO-OOPHRECTOMY:
- BENIGN OVARIAN SEROUS CYSTADENOFIBROMA (BILATERAL).
- FALLOPIAN TUBES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

Atypical

FALLOPIAN TUBE AND OVARY, RIGHT, SALPINGO-OOPHORECTOMY:
- BENIGN SEROUS CYSTADENOMA AND SEROUS CYSTADENOFIBROMA WITH FOCAL ATYPIA,
  SEE COMMENT.
- FALLOPIAN TUBE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

COMMENT:
A small focus of the sampled tissue has a complex architecture, compatible with a
borderline tumour; however, it represents less than 10% of the lesion. Thus, the 
lesion is best classified as benign with focal atypia.

See also

• Ovarian tumours.
• Pancreatic serous cystadenoma.
• Adenofibroma.