Curschmann's spirals in cyst fluid associated with a teratoma of the ovary. A case report

BACKGROUND: Curschmann's spirals, first described more than 100 years ago, are common in cytologic specimens from the respiratory tract and have also been observed in cervical smears, urine, and peritoneal and pleural effusions. No simple theory can explain the exact mode of spiral formation, which is presumed to be a complex physical and biochemical phenomenon. CASE: A 29-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 2, underwent right ovarian cyst excision after an abdominal ultrasound examination revealed a cystic mass of the right ovary. Histologically, the cyst was an immature cystic teratoma containing respiratory epithelium with mucous glands in the submucosa. Cytologic examination of the cyst fluid showed the presence of Curschmann's spirals. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, the formation of Curschmann's spirals associated with an immature cystic teratoma has not been previously reported. In this situation, the presence of spirals could be explained by formation from mucus normally found in that environment.