A case of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the fallopian tube

Abstract

The primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is the rarest of all gynecologic malignancies and histologically most of them are adenocarcinomas. Primary transitional cell carcinomas are extremely rare in the fallopian tube. A 63-year-old postmenopausal woman presenting with lower abdominal pain was found to have a left adnexal mass. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a mass arising from the fallopian tube with the histologic features of transitional cell carcinoma. Light and electron microscopic studies supported the notion of transitional cell carcinoma. The tumor was extended to the muscle layer and confined to the left fallopian tube without metastasis. The patient received 3 courses of systemic cisplatin-based chemotherapy and has been well with no evidence of recurrence until August, 1998.