[Ovarian tumor in the juvenile--an analysis of 77 cases]

This paper analyzes 77 cases of ovarian tumor in children and adolescents treated in our hospital from Jul. 1952 to Aug. 1982. All were under 20 years and the youngest was 3 years old. The incidence was 6.0% of the total patients with ovarian tumor during the same period. Of 77 cases, 54 (70.1%) were benign (10 were lost to follow-up, 43 survived and 1 died of unrelated cause), and 23 (29.9%) were malignant (4 lost and 8 died, the mortality was 34.8%). 37 (48.0%) were considered to be of germ cell origin and the rest (52.0%), non-germ cell origin. In 18 patients before menarche, 14 had germ cell tumor, but in only 3, the tumor arose from the coelomic epithelia. It was of interest to note that 1 patient, only 3 years old, had granulosa cell tumor associated precocious puberty. The initial presenting symptoms were usually an abdominal mass or lower abdominal pain. Some of the germ cell tumors and mucinous cystadenomas could reach a considerable size. The prognosis of ovarian tumor is related to the clinical stage, pathological type as well as whether the treatment is thorough or not. The diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment are discussed. It is emphasized that the conservation of ovarian function and the fertility should be considered under the treatment.