[Borderline ovarian tumors: an update]

Borderline ovarian tumors account for 15-20% of all ovarian epithelial tumors and are diagnosed primarily in young women who want to preserve their childbearing potential. Due to the absence of specific preoperative criteria, diagnosis is often made during surgery or after the anatomopathologic examination. The management of borderline ovarian tumors with early stage is well-known and conservative surgery must be chosen as much as possible. Laparoscopic approach is possible for these tumors, allowing diagnosis, staging and also treatment. For advanced stage, laparotomy is still recommended. Staging must be performed during the initial surgery because tumor stage is one of the most relevant prognostic factors. Restaging operation should be discussed when complete staging was not made during initial surgery. Because his prognostic and therapeutic impacts are not proved, restaging surgery remains controversial. For that reason, it seems important to define clinical and histological criteria for patients with a high risk of upstaging.