Prevalence and histologic diagnosis of adnexal cysts in postmenopausal women: an autopsy study

The purpose of this autopsy study was to examine the prevalence and histologic condition of adnexal cysts in postmenopausal women.

Adnexa of 234 postmenopausal women who had died from nongynecologic diseases were examined by the team pathologist.

Ovarian cysts were found in 36 of the women (15.4%). Nine women (3.8%) had ovarian cysts with a diameter between 20 and < or =50 mm; 4 women (1.7%) had cysts that were >50 mm in diameter. Four women had bilateral ovarian cysts. Paraovarian cysts were found in 11 women (4.7%). All cysts were benign, except for 1 woman, who had bilateral serous cystadenoma of borderline type. Macroscopically, the borderline cysts were multilocular with mean diameters of 60 mm and 15 mm, respectively.

Because of the high prevalence of benign adnexal cysts, the identification of small unilocular cysts in postmenopausal women should be regarded as a normal finding.