Ovarian tumours in children : a review of 18 cases

To review the experience of Children's Hospital of Rabat in managing ovarian tumours in children.

There were 18 patients between 2 and 15 years of age who presented with an ovarian tumour at Children's Hospital of Rabat between January 2000 and December 2008. Data collected from the hospital medical records included age at diagnosis, patient's history, presenting complaints, radiological examination, tumour markers, management, operative procedure, histopathological examination and outcome of the patients.

The most common presenting complaint was abdominal pain in 10 (55%) patient. 77% of ovarian tumours were germ cell tumours; 71% of these were teratomas which were benign in 66% of cases. Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was the most common surgical procedure performed in 15 patients (83%) through laparotomy. Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy was carried out in 2 (11%) patients with benign cystic teratoma. Of the 7 (39%) patients with malignant tumours, three received postoperative chemotherapy. Outcome was good in most cases. There were no cases of resistance to treatment, or death.

Early diagnosis of ovarian tumours in children and adolescents is important. Since most of these tumours are benign, surgical treatment should be conservative to minimise the risk of subsequent infertility, while the treatment of malignant tumours should include complete staging, resection of the tumour, postoperative chemotherapy when indicated, to give the patient a chance for future childbearing.