Papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum in a man: a case report

Papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum (PSCP) is a rare primary peritoneal tumor, described exclusively in women. It is believed to arise from the secondary müllerian system, which is comprised of the pelvic and lower abdominal mesothelial lining and subjacent (subcoelomic) mesenchyme in women. Both mesotheliomas and PSCP arise from the coelomic epithelium, but are clinicopathologically and biologically distinct entities.

The authors report clinicopathologic findings in a man, age 74 years, who died 3 months after the diagnosis of an extensive malignant abdominal disease.

The routine histologic and immunocytochemical studies of tumor tissue, obtained during the patient's lifetime and at autopsy, validated the unique occurrence of PSCP in a man.

This case illustrates that PSCP can occur in a man and that this diagnosis may be considered in the differential diagnosis of papillary serous tumors of the peritoneum in male patients. Although rare, PSCP is a diagnostically distinct entity the treatment of which is similar to ovarian serous tumors rather than mesotheliomas.