Malignant and borderline epithelial ovarian tumors morphological aspects and prognostic assay

Tumors developing from Müllerian ducts are malignant epithelial tumors in approximately 85% of cases, borderline tumors representing only 15% of all epithelial ovarian tumors. Borderline ovarian tumors often occur in women of reproductive age (under the age of 40 years), usually nulliparous. Consequently, preservation of fertility becomes an important issue in early diagnosis and adequate therapy of borderline ovarian tumors. The adequate classification of borderline tumors, similar to their malignant counterparts, shows a morphologic spectrum composed of serous (with an incidence of 50%), mucinous (45%) and mixed types (5%) tumors and allows an improved prognosis of their behavior, as an essential issue in performing the most appropriate surgical therapy. Study design: Fifty seven patients with malignant and borderline epithelial ovarian tumors were included in our study. The clinical and histological data obtained from hospital records were retrospectively reviewed and statistically analyzed. Results: The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 33.4±2.4 years in borderline tumors versus 52.5±1.8 in malignant tumors. The macroscopic appearance of the tumors showed cystic ovarian masses, with diffuse papillary projections, in some cases perforating through and extending beyond the ovarian capsule, and exhibiting an associated solid component only in malignant tumors. The histopathological diagnosis of tumors was serous type (76.59%) and mucinous type (23.40%). Seven cases were diagnosed as borderline tumors (12.28%) and were classified as serous type. Conclusions: Accurate and complete histopathological assessment is required in ovarian epithelial tumors and is essential for prognosis and adequate therapy.