Development patterns in "adenomatoid lesions" of the fallopian tube

Our plain-English summary of Development patterns in "adenomatoid lesions" of the fallopian tube, by C.J. Pauerstein, J.D. Woodruff, S.W. Quinton (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1968).

The study

• Authors: C.J. Pauerstein, J.D. Woodruff, S.W. Quinton
• Journal: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Published: 1968;100(7):1000-7
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This 1968 pathology paper from Johns Hopkins and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore reported one case of adenomatoid tumor of the Fallopian tube. The authors compared it with seven re-examined tubal adenomatoid tumors and several cases of chronic salpingitis (tubal inflammation). The article does not mention asbestos. The main case was examined in serial sections with special stains. The right tube showed patterns typical of "salpingitis isthmica nodosa." In the left tube, the authors traced small gland-like structures directly to the surface lining (mesothelium), and followed these inward folds into the tubal wall, where gland-like lesions formed. In that tube, a typical adenomatoid tumor first appeared deep in the muscle of the isthmus and was later seen in the lumen of the ampulla. A rare dividing cell was seen, which the authors said suggested low-grade malignant alteration. P.A.S.-positive and Alcian blue-positive material was found in all these structures, and similar patterns were seen in the adjacent ovary. The authors concluded that inward folding and growth of Mullerian mesothelium was responsible for the adenomatoid tumor and for many cases of salpingitis isthmica nodosa.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Case report (microscopic pathology study of one case using serial sections and special stains), compared with seven re-examined cases of tubal adenomatoid tumor and several cases of chronic salpingitis
• Who was studied: One patient whose uterus, both Fallopian tubes and both ovaries were available for study (age and other details not given), plus seven additional cases of tubal adenomatoid tumor and several cases of chronic salpingitis. Authors were at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Dates of the cases are not given.
• Exposure: Not applicable: the article studies the tissue origin of a benign tubal tumor and does not discuss asbestos or any other exposure.
• Main results:
  • In the main case, the right tube showed patterns typical of salpingitis isthmica nodosa.
  • In the left tube of the main case, small glandular structures beneath the serosal surface could be traced directly to the surface mesothelium.
  • In the main case, the authors traced inward folds of the peritoneal lining into the tubal wall, followed by gland-like ("adenoid") lesions throughout the tubal muscle.
  • In the main case, a typical adenomatoid tumor pattern first appeared deep in the muscle of the isthmus and was later seen in the lumen of the ampulla.
  • In the main case, a rare mitosis (dividing cell) was seen in one adenomatous area, which the authors said suggested low-grade malignant alteration.
  • In the main case, P.A.S.-positive and Alcian blue-positive material was found in all of the lesion types, similar to that seen in peritoneal inclusions.
  • Compared with typical cases of salpingitis isthmica nodosa, the main case showed striking similarities in pattern and in individual cell detail.
  • In the main case, similar patterns were seen in the adjacent ovary, although no specific tumor was visible to the naked eye.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that inward folding and growth of Mullerian mesothelium is responsible for the formation of the adenomatoid tumor and for many cases of salpingitis isthmica nodosa. They accepted the hypothesis that these lesions may be "variations on the same theme."

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Adenomatoid Tumor.

Related studies

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• Correlation of asbestos fiber burdens in fallopian tubes and ovarian tissue — D.S. Heller, R.E. Gordon, et al. (1999)
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