[Pathology of the malignant ovarian tumours (author's transl)]

A review of the principles of histological classification of the malignant ovarian tumours is given. In the center of the discussion figure the tumours originating from the surface epithelium, which make up the majority of ovarian tumours. In dependence on the tumour type they differ in tendency to spread and in prognosis. The clinico-pathological serial examinations existing so far stress the importance of the histopathologic differentiation between facultatively malignant ovarian tumours (borderline tumours) and indubitable carcinomas. Close relations between the type of a tumour and its tendency to spread manifest themselves, for instance, by the different frequency of an affection of both the ovaries, which relates to the different types of carcinomas. Apart from the lymphogenic dissemination, an early development of metastases to the diaphragm seems to have a particular bearing on the spreading of ovarian cancers.