Primary papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum in a man.

BACKGROUND Primary papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum is a well-known entity in women. The tumour is derived from the extraovarian mesothelium and the pelvis and lower abdomen mesothelia. The treatment strategies are similar to ovarian serous papillary carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS A case of primary serous papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum in a man is presented. The patient, 53 years old, died 2 months after diagnosis. RESULTS The histologic and immunohistochemical studies of the tumour will be presented. These studies, made during lifetime and at autopsy of the patient, confirm a diagnosis of primary serous papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum. CONCLUSIONS primary serous papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum can occur in men, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of abdominal carcinomatosis of unknown origin. Treatment options remain to be determined.