[Transvaginal sclerosing therapy of cystic ovarian lesions with alcohol]
Aim:
Description of puncture technique for conservative treatment of cystic ovarian lesions.
Method:
The cyst should be unilocular, sonolucent, with a smooth inner wall of the capsule, without septa and neovascularisation on transvaginal colour Doppler. Serum CA-125 levels must be lower than 35 U/ml. The capsule of the cyst was punctured with a 18 gauge needle, sonographically guided with a 5 MHz transvaginal probe. After complete emptying of the cyst, (cytological examination of the cystic fluid was negative), we injected an amount of sterile 96 % alcohol equalling 50 % of the volume of the cyst. The alcohol remained in the cyst for 5 minutes and was then aspirated completely.
Results:
152 patients aged 18 to 60 with an ovarian cyst volume between 40 and 140 ml were treated. Five of the patients (3.3 %) had intensive pelvic pain and therefore received intravenous analgesics. After three months, relapse appeared in 8 patients (5.3 %), in most of whom the volume of the cyst had been more than 100 ml.
Conclusion:
The proposed puncture technique is simple and easily performed. Treatment with 96 % alcohol showed good results. In cases where the cyst volume exceeds 100 ml, we advise surgical treatment by laparoscopy or laparotomy.
