Incidental Diagnosis of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma During Infertility Treatment: A Case Report

Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) represents a precursor lesion to high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and is typically identified during prophylactic surgery in BRCA mutation carriers. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of STIC incidentally diagnosed during infertility treatment. A 43-year-old nulligravid woman with four years of primary infertility underwent laparoscopic left salpingectomy for hydrosalpinx prior to embryo transfer. Histopathological examination unexpectedly revealed STIC, confirmed by characteristic morphological features and immunohistochemical markers, including strong nuclear p53 expression and elevated Ki-67 index. The patient declined BRCA genetic testing and prophylactic surgical interventions, opting to continue fertility treatment under enhanced surveillance. This unprecedented case emphasizes the critical importance of comprehensive histopathological evaluation of surgically resected fallopian tubes, even when removed for benign reproductive indications, and highlights the complex decision-making process regarding genetic counseling, surveillance strategies, and fertility preservation in reproductive-aged women with incidentally diagnosed STIC.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-11-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.96355
Primary Topic
Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Incidental Diagnosis of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma During Infertility Treatment: A Case Report

Tomomoto Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi Takiuchi, Katsumi Doi, Yasuhiro Ohara
Cureus
Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
article

Incidental Diagnosis of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma During Infertility Treatment: A Case Report

Tomomoto Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi Takiuchi, Katsumi Doi, Yasuhiro Ohara
article en

Abstract

Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) represents a precursor lesion to high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and is typically identified during prophylactic surgery in BRCA mutation carriers. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of STIC incidentally diagnosed during infertility treatment. A 43-year-old nulligravid woman with four years of primary infertility underwent laparoscopic left salpingectomy for hydrosalpinx prior to embryo transfer. Histopathological examination unexpectedly revealed STIC, confirmed by characteristic morphological features and immunohistochemical markers, including strong nuclear p53 expression and elevated Ki-67 index. The patient declined BRCA genetic testing and prophylactic surgical interventions, opting to continue fertility treatment under enhanced surveillance. This unprecedented case emphasizes the critical importance of comprehensive histopathological evaluation of surgically resected fallopian tubes, even when removed for benign reproductive indications, and highlights the complex decision-making process regarding genetic counseling, surveillance strategies, and fertility preservation in reproductive-aged women with incidentally diagnosed STIC.

CureusVol. 17(11)
Osaka Nishi Clinic (JP), The University of Osaka (JP)
Openalex Percentile: Top 57%
Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
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