Embryological Insights into the Origin of Epithelial Cancers of the Female Reproductive Tract
- 25 April 2023
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine
- Vol. 13 (7), a040642
- https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a040642
Abstract
The embryology of the female reproductive organs is reviewed focusing on aspects relevant to the histogenesis of reproductive neoplasms. The evidence reviewed suggests that (1) there is no embryological link between the ovarian surface epithelium and the coelomic epithelium; (2) the ovarian surface epithelium is not composed of pluripotent cells that readily differentiate into various components of the reproductive tract before or after birth; (3) there is no embryological link between the ovarian surface epithelium and the Müllerian ducts, from which internal female reproductive organs other than the ovaries, including the endocervix, endometrium, and fallopian tubes, are derived; and (4) there is an embryological link between the Müllerian ducts and the renal collecting system, perhaps accounting for clear cell differentiation in some gynecological malignancies. Implications for our understanding of the origin of the tumors historically classified as ovarian epithelial neoplasms are discussed.Keywords
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