Mucinous tumors of the ovary. A clinicopathologic study of 70 cases.

Seventy cases of mucinous ovarian tumor were reviewed. All patients were followed for a minimum of 5 years. Clinicopathologically, three groups were defined: (1) mucinous cystadenoma, which demonstrated no nuclear stratification and no stromal invasion (15 cases); (2) mucinous tumor of uncertain malignant potential, which was characterized by nuclear stratification of two to three layers and no stromal invasion (21 cases); and (3) mucinous carcinoma, which showed stromal invasion and/or nuclear stratification in excess of three layers (34 cases; 15 with invasion, 19 without). All patients with mucinous cystadenomas remained tumor-free after initial surgery. Two patients with mucinous tumors of uncertain malignant potential died of tumor at 55 and 72 months, respectively, whereas 18 with mucinous carcinomas died after intervals ranging from 2 to 71 months. All mucinous tumors of uncertain malignant potential were Stage I at presentation. Twenty-one mucinous carcinomas were Stage I (six tumor deaths), one was Stage II (tumor death), ten were Stage III (nine tumor deaths), one was Stage IV (tumor death), and one was of uncertain stage (tumor death). Patients with mucinous carcinomas having stromal invasion demonstrated poorer survival (10 of 15 dead) than those with mucinous carcinomas lacking this finding (8 of 19 dead); however, stromal invasion was related to higher stage (5 with invasion Stage I; 16 without invasion Stage I).