Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube: a 20-year review at Ramathibodi Hospital.

Four cases of primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University during a 20-year period were reviewed. The mean age was 54 years. The most common presenting symptoms were watery vaginal discharge, abnormal uterine bleeding and abdominal pain. A palpable abdominal or pelvic mass was also a common physical finding. The preoperative diagnosis was correct in three patients. The possibility of getting an early and correct preoperative diagnosis of this disease is also discussed. All of the patients in this report were in stage I & II. The initial treatment consisted of total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with postoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy.