Wolffian adnexal tumour (WATs), Female adenexal tumour of probable Wolffian origin (FATWO)

Macroscopic appearances

These tumours are located in the areas where Wolffian duct remnants are found (unilaterally located in the broad ligament, mesosalpinx, ovarian hilum). They have been variously considered as tumours originating from Wolffian remnants and as representing extra-ovarian sex cord stromal tumours3.

Histopathology

They show varying morphologies with solid (spindle cells), tubular (lined by columnar cells), retiform and multicystic (spaces lined by cuboidal and attenuated cells) patterns.

Immunohistochemistry

pan-cytokeratin (AE1/3, CK1)

25/251

CAM 5.2

25/251

cytokeratin 7

(22/251, focal staining)

cytokeratin 20

0/251

keratin 903

4/251

epithelial membrane antigen (EMA)

3/251

carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

0/251

oestrogen receptor

7/251

progesterone receptor

6/251

androgen receptor

19/251

inhibin

17/251, 9/102

calretinin

23/251

vimentin

25/251

Differential diagnosis

"Because of immunoreactivity for inhibin and calretinin in a significant number of WATs, our results further show that these immunostains alone do not allow absolute distinction of WATs from sex cord-stromal tumors and adenomatoid tumors, respectively, with which they may be confused."1

References

1Devouassoux-Shisheboran, M., Silver, S. A., Tavassoli, F. A. Wolffian adnexal tumor, so-called female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin (FATWO): immunohistochemical evidence in support of a Wolffian origin. Hum Pathol 1999;30:856-63.

2Kommoss, F., Oliva, E., Bhan, A.K., Young, R.H. and Scully, R.E. Inhibin expression in ovarian tumors and tumor-like lesions: an immunohistochemical study. Mod Pathol 1998;11:656-64.

3Zheng, W., Senturk, B.Z. and Parkash, V. Inhibin immunohistochemical staining: a practical approach for the surgical pathologist in the diagnoses of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors. Adv Anat Pathol 2003;10:27-38.