Ovarian Seromucinous Tumors: Pathogenesis, Morphologic Spectrum, and Clinical Issues

Abstract

Ovarian seromucinous tumors were introduced in the 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) classification as one of the seven types of ovarian epithelial tumors. They are characterized by frequent association with endometriosis and bilaterality, microscopic appearance of papillary architecture, and admixture of a variety of müllerian-type epithelium. They are considered to be endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms, along with endometrioid and clear cell tumors; recent molecular studies suggest this particular tumor is a variant of endometrioid tumor. Discrepancies in nomenclature, definition, and morphology of seromucinous tumors appear to be a source of confusion, for both clinicians and general surgicalpathologists. This review summarizes the clinicopathological features of benign, borderline, and malignant seromucinous tumors, as well as controversies regarding these tumors.