alpha-Fetoprotein-producing (hepatoid) carcinoma of the fallopian tube

This report describes a case of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing carcinoma of the fallopian tube. The patient was a 52-year-old woman who presented with an abnormally high serum level of AFP. A left adnexal mass was discovered in the subsequent close examination. Hysterectomy and adnexectomy revealed a 3 x 3 x 4-cm tumor in the fimbriae of the left tube. Histologically and immunohistochemically, the tumor was diagnosed as an AFP-producing (hepatoid) carcinoma arising in the fallopian tube. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a tumor appearing in the tube. This case supports the view that hepatoid cells may also arise from the müllerian epithelium.