Ovarian masses in infant-juvenile age

The appropraite surgical treatment to pediatric patients with ovarian lesions are heterogeneous and ovarian preservation is desirable in children. The aim of this study is to the discuss findings related to a set of patients who were operated on for ovarian lesions.

A retrospective study carried out in 13 years on 56 patients under the age of 17. These patients were divided into 3 groups according to ovarian pathologic diagnosis: 25 with functional (cyts and torsion), 18 with epithelial ovarian lesions and 13 with germ cell tumours. These three groups were compared in terms of menarche, torsion, age, duration, size, pain, mass, vomiting, irregular menstruation, location and operation type.

Follicle cysts, serous cyst adenomas and teratomas were the most common in these groups. The mean age of the patients was 12.18±4.84 years. The most common symptoms and signs were abdominal-pelvic pain (85.7%) and swelling(37.5%). Torsion was seen in 21 patients (37.5%), mean mass size was found to be 10.46±6.55 cm. A salpingo-oophorectomy (SO) was performed in 38 patients and cyst excision (CE) was performed in 18 patients. In premenarcheal cases, torsion was seen more in menarcheal cases and in the functional lesion group. CE was performed more often in the functional and t SO was performed often in the epithelial and germ cells groups.

Torsion and functional ovarian pathologies are thought to be common in premenstrual ages and malign lesions are very rare in all age groups so we recommend ovarian protective surgery should be preferred.