Primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube. Review of the literature.

An extensive review of the currently available literature on primary fallopian tube carcinoma is presented. The role of vaginal ultrasonography and the importance of an aggressive evaluation of every tubal deformity is stressed. A staging system which takes into account recent data on the biology of this malignancy is proposed. We emphasize the largely underestimated importance of early lymphatic spread of this disease, necessitating a thorough staging laparotomy with pelvic and para-aortic lymph node sampling in the apparent early stages. The need for adjuvant treatment is obvious, but until now no firm data exist as to what the optimal strategy should be. We recommend that until more representative studies are available, ovarian carcinoma protocols should be used in clinical practice.