Ovarian metastasis originating from bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: A rare presentation of lung cancer

Ovarian metastasis originating from bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) has not been reported previously. We report a 63-year-old Chinese woman who was diagnosed as BAC with pleural metastasis in 1997. Four years later, she complained of vaginal bleeding, and a pelvic mass was discovered by an abdominal computerized tomography scan. Tumor debulking and total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy were performed. Pathology disclosed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, with abundant clear cytoplasm, in the ovaries. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining revealed that the tumor cells from the ovary and pleura were reactive to thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) and cytokeratin-7 (CK-7) but were negative for cytokeratin-20 (CK-20). The results of immunohistochemical staining, clinical course, and pathological features were compatible with the diagnosis of BAC with ovarian metastasis. In conclusion, to investigate the primary site of a metastatic ovarian cancer, clinicians should not forget the lungs since the incidence of lung cancer in females is increasing. Moreover, a monoclonal antibody panel for TTF-1, CK-7, and CK-20 may facilitate discrimination between primary and metastasized ovarian adenocarcinomas and/or identifying tumors of pulmonary origin.