Management and outcomes of adnexal masses during pregnancy: a 6-year experience

To demonstrate adnexal masses detected during gestations in a 6-year period.

A retrospective study of pregnancy with adnexal masses requiring surgery over a 6-year period at the Selcuk University Hospital, a tertiary referral center, between June 2000 and June 2006.

We detected 36 pregnancies with adnexal masses. The mean age of the patients was 26.6 years (range, 18-42). The mean gestational age at which adnexal masses were detected was 17 weeks (range, 5-36), and the mean gestational age at the time of surgery was 24 weeks (range, 6-41). Postoperative pathology results of the patients were functional ovarian cysts in 14 cases (41.1%), endometrioma in eight cases (23.5%), dermoid cyst in six cases (17.6%), serous cystadenoma in two cases (5.8%), mucinous cystadenoma in one case (2.9%), para-ovarian cyst in one case (2.9%), and borderline serous tumor in two cases (5.8%). Two patients operated on during the second trimester developed preterm birth risk (5.8%). Miscarriage occurred in only one patient (2.9%).

In this report, we demonstrate a high rate of surgical intervention of adnexal masses at pregnancy which is secondary to the fact that our center works as a tertiary referral center. Most masses at pregnancies were benign in character and our malignity rate was low. We detected an acceptable complication rate due to surgery in pregnant women.