Ovarian cancer mimics: how to avoid being fooled by extraovarian pelvic masses

In our clinical experience, pelvic masses from a variety of anatomic sites may be misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer. This tendency to overdiagnose a rare disease probably reflects both its protean imaging appearance and concern for its potential morbidity and mortality. However, radiologists can better serve patients with an analytic approach to the anatomic and tissue features of pelvic masses. We review a range of ovarian cancer mimics and illustrate the radiologic reasoning enabling correct diagnosis.