A clinicopathological study of women with adnexal masses presenting with acute symptoms

Abdominal pain is one of the most common presentations of adnexal pathology in gynecology. Early diagnosis and intervention is essential especially in adolescent girls and reproductive age group women to conserve reproductive function.

The purpose of the following study is to assess the clinicopathologic outcome of women with adnexal masses presenting with acute pain.

A retrospective study of women with adnexal masses who had surgical intervention for acute symptoms from June 2007 to May 2012 was undertaken. During the study period, a total of 57 women were operated for adnexal masses as emergency.

Of the 57 women operated for adnexal masses as emergency, the most common pathology was teratoma 26% (15/57) followed by corpus luteal hemorrhage (16%) and endometriosis (14%). Laparoscopy was the initial surgical approach in just over 50% of patients, but surgery was completed laparoscopically only in about one-third of patients. Conservative surgery in the form of ovarian cystectomy was possible in 70% of patients.

Complications of adnexal masses such as torsion and hemorrhage are common causes of acute abdominal pain. Timely diagnosis of the adnexal pathology and surgical intervention will help to preserve the reproductive outcome. Conservative surgery was possible in 70% of our study group.