[The primary ovarian carcinoid. Case report].

A rare primary carcinoid tumor of the ovary, found incidentally in a 68-year-old woman, is reported. There had been no symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. Grossly, the unilateral tumor was cystic, measuring 13 cm in greatest diameter. Microscopically it consisted mainly of solid epithelial cords. The demonstration of argentaffin cells and the absence of a concomitant teratoma, dermoid or pseudomucinous cyst led to the diagnosis of a pure primary ovarian carcinoid tumor. On average the prognosis of such lesions is good and recurrence or fatal metastases are rare. Treatment consists of salpingo-oophorectomy. To rule out a metastasizing carcinoid with similar histologic features, the contralateral ovary should be biopsied since metastases almost invariably occur bilaterally.