This short report describes the detection of mutations of the TP53 tumour suppressor gene in sporadic ovarian carcinomas using archival paraffin-embedded tissues and automated fluorescent DNA sequencing. TP53 mutations were detected in eight tumours. Missense mutations predominated and all were transitions. Mutations were commonest in late-stage serous tumours. In three cases, where tissue was available, the mutations were homogeneous throughout several sections of the bilateral ovarian tumours and in omental metastases. These data confirm the findings of previous investigations describing TP53 mutation in ovarian carcinoma and demonstrate that archival paraffin-embedded tissues can be used for such analyses.