Intraoperative cytology of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary

Objective: To describe the cytomorphology of clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the ovary in intraoperative samples of peritoneal fluid, imprint and scraping samples of the tumour tissue. Study design: Fourteen histologically confirmed cases, stained by standard cytological procedures, were analysed by light microscopy. Results: In 33.3% of peritoneal fluid samples and 92.9% of imprint and scraping cytological samples, besides variable clear cell cellular morphology, one or both distinct cytological characteristics were observed: eosinophilic, hyaline, extracellular, globular substance with or without formation of a ‘raspberry’ body and an eosinophilic, intracytoplasmic inclusions. These structures were clearly seen only in samples stained by May‐Grünwald–Giemsa. Conclusion: Using cytological analysis of imprint and scraping samples of ovarian tumours it is possible to make a precise intraoperative cytological diagnosis in most cases of CCC of the ovary.