Migration of Talc From the Perineum to Multiple Pelvic Organ Sites: Five Case Studies With Correlative Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Objectives Genital talc use is associated with increased risk for ovarian carcinoma in epidemiologic studies. Finding talc in pelvic tissues in women with ovarian carcinoma who have used talc is important in documenting exposure and assessing talc’s biologic potential, but tissue-based morphology studies have been rarely reported. Methods We report five patient cases with documented perineal talc use, each of whom had talc (by both polarized light and scanning electron microscopy) in multiple pelvic sites distant from the perineum. Six negative-exposure control patients were also analyzed. Results Talc particles were found in exposed patients, typically within two or more of the following locations: pelvic region lymph nodes, cervix, uterine corpus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Conclusions Our report adds new insights into the biologic potential of talc and suggests additional anatomic sites that should be closely examined for talc by oncologic surgical pathologists in the setting of perineal talc use.