[Pseudomyxoma of the peritoneum caused by rupture of a mucinous cystoma of the ovary. Description of a case].

A case of pseudomyxoma peritonei originating from spontaneous rupture of an ovaric mucinous cystoma is described: in this pathology we observe the spreading throughout the peritoneal cavity of free or encapsulated gelatinous masses arising from primitive lesion. The examined case presented a spreading of mucinous masses on contralateral ovary and omentum and a total laparo-hysterectomy, bilateral annessiectomy and omentectomy has been carried out. A year after surgery, on the base of a three months follow-up, no clinical or ultrasonic signs of local recurrence has been noticed. The pathogenesis of this pathology is discussed: the flogistic hypothesis considering such a spreading as a "foreign body" peritonitis and the neoplastic one, pointing out a metastatic process of mucus-secretive epithelia implantation as the etiopathogenetic moment of the injury, are actually the most accredited hypothesis by literature.