It has been shown that isoforms of the adhesion molecule CD44 are involved in the metastatic spread of several human malignancies. To determine whether CD44 plays a role in metastasis of human ovarian cancer, the tumours and corresponding metastases of 28 patients were investigated. CD44 was detected by immunohistochemistry in 2 primary tumours (7.1%) and 3 metastases (10.7%). In no case did both the primary tumour and metastasis show CD44 expression simultaneously. The results presented here suggest that CD44 does not play a crucial role in the metastatic spread of human ovarian cancer.