[Ovarian tumors in the reproductive age group]

Analysis of the type and localization of the ovarian tumors in the reproductive age group of women.

The study group consisted of all women operated on Gynecologic Surgery Department of Polish Mothers's Memorial Hospital-Research Institute due to ovarian tumors in 1996-99. As the reproductive age we defined 18-39 year, when the majority of deliveries occurs.

We analyzed 326 patients operated on the ovarian tumors. In 60 cases (18.4%) we noticed ovarian malignant tumors, in 7 (2.1%) borderline tumors and in 259 (79.5%) benign cysts. In the reproductive age (130 women) the incidence of ovarian malignancies was significantly lower (4.6%), higher for benign tumors (93.1%) and constant for borderline malignancy (2.3%), p < 0.005. The most common malignancy among all patients was epithelial cancer--83.4% (germ cell and metastatic--8.3%, both), but in the reproductive age group (6 cases) germ cell tumors were the majority--66.8% (epithelial and metastatic--16.6%, both), p < 0.005. In women aged 18-39 yr. with ovarian malignancies 4 of them had I stage of the disease and 2 were in the stage III. 121 women in the reproductive age were operated on the benign ovarian tumors; 107 (88.4%) had unilateral cysts and 14 (11.6%) had tumors in both ovaries. On histology we revealed 31.1% of endometrioid cysts, 28.9%--teratomas, 19.3%--serous, 3.7%--mucinous and others (hemorrhagic, functional, sex cord, inflammatory) in the remaining 17%.

In the reproductive age ovarian tumors are mainly unilateral benign cysts. Only a few of ovarian tumors were malignant but the majority of them were in the early stage of the disease.