Peritoneal psammocarcinoma diagnosed by a Papanicolau smear: a case report.

Background: Serous psammocarcinoma is a rare variant of epithelial neoplasia that can arise from the ovaries or peritoneum. It is characterized by massive psammoma body formation, invasiveness and low grade cytologic features.

Case: A 70-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital; a bimanual examination with cervicovaginal smear was performed. The smears revealed neoplastic cells with psammoma bodies; afterward, endocervical curettage revealed microaggregates of epithelial neoplastic cells with psammoma bodies. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a diffuse peritoneal carcinosis with left ovarian calcification. An exploratory laparotomy was carried out. Final pathologic findings showed peritoneal serous psammocarcinoma with ovarian implants.

Conclusion: Our report suggests that a Pap smear can play a role in the detection of peritoneal psammocarcinoma and underlines the significance of psammoma bodies as a cytologic marker of this rare tumor.