Cysts in pregnancy discovered by sonography.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Medical Imaging
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Adnexal cysts are common findings during pregnancy.
• Early identification and characterization are crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and sonographic features of adnexal cysts in pregnant patients.
• To evaluate the natural history and surgical outcomes of these lesions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 3,330 pregnant patients undergoing sonography.
• Documentation of cyst characteristics, gestational age at detection, and follow-up outcomes.
• Surgical correlation for persistent or suspicious lesions.

Main Results:

• An incidence of 1.14% (38/3,330) adnexal cystic lesions was observed.
• Most cysts were detected before 16 weeks and resolved spontaneously, presumed to be corpus luteum cysts.
• Five persistent lesions required surgery, including mucinous cystadenoma, cystic teratoma, paraovarian cyst, inclusion cyst, and tuboovarian abscess.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound is effective in detecting adnexal cysts during pregnancy.
• The majority of pregnancy-associated adnexal cysts are benign and resolve spontaneously.
• Persistent lesions require careful evaluation, as they can represent diverse pathologies, some with specific sonographic indicators.