SURFACE CELLS OF THE OVARY AND PELVIC PERITONEUM - HISTOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURE COMPARISON

Parmley and Woodruff (Amer. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 120, 234-241, 1974) proposed that all tumors derived from surface cells of the ovary could be considered as mesotheliomas. This prompted a comparison of the ultrastructural and histochemical characteristics of surface cells of the ovary and peritoneal mesothelium. Normal surface cells of the ovary tend to be cuboidal or columnar in shape, while mesothelial cells are flat and have a broad cytoplasmic spread. Surface cells have cilia, mesothelial cells do not. Lipid deposits were present in surface cells and absent in peritoneal mesothelium. Pelvic peritoneal cells become columnar when adjacent to grade I serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. Surface cells of the ovary were positive for 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; peritoneal cells were negative. Surface cells were occasionally mucin positive; peritoneal cells were negative. Surface ovarian cells were positive for alcian blue, pH 2.5 and pH 1.0, indicating presence of sulfated acidic and neutral mucopolysaccharides; peritoneal cells were negative. © 1979.