Serous Borderline Tumor

Comments:
Serous borderline tumors (Atypical proliferating serous tumors) of the ovary are non-invasive tumors that show greater epithelial proliferation and cytologic atypia and a more complex papillary architecture than benign serous tumors. They make up about 15% of all ovarian serous tumors. About 35-40% of cases are bilateral. The mean age at diagnosis is about 40 years. There is no association with BRCA1 or 2 mutations.

The presenting symptoms are similar to those of serous cystadenomas and include chronic pelvic discomfort, abdominal distension and pain. Most tumors are confined to the ovary at the time of diagnosis.

Grossly, they are unilocular or multilocular cysts filled with watery fluid. They are more likely to have papillary excrescences inside (shown in this image) and on the surface. Image courtesy of Dr. Jean-Christophe Fournet, Paris, France; humpath.com; Used with permission