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What recent primary studies tell us about ovarian teratomas in children: a scoping review
Justyna Łuczak1, Maciej Bagłaj2, Piotr Dryjański2
1Pediatric Surgery and Urology Department, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. justyna.luczak@umed.wroc.pl.
Insights
Pediatric ovarian teratomas require more research. This scoping review highlights knowledge gaps in understanding these tumors, including recurrence, malignancy, and surgical approaches in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Ovarian teratomas in children are not fully understood.
- Existing literature lacks a comprehensive synthesis using scoping review methodology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of primary research on pediatric ovarian teratomas.
- To identify key research areas and knowledge gaps.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search and synthesis of primary research studies.
- Inclusion of studies from 11 countries, encompassing retrospective, prospective, and experimental designs.
- Categorization of studies based on teratoma type (mature, immature, or both).
Main Results:
- 24 studies were identified, with 9 involving over 50 patients.
- Seven major research themes emerged: recurrence/follow-up, malignant potential, prognostic factors, fertility-sparing surgery, surgical approach (laparoscopy vs. laparotomy), chemotherapy, and diagnostic examinations.
- Significant knowledge gaps exist across these themes.
Conclusions:
- The evidence base for pediatric ovarian teratomas is limited.
- Further research specifically focused on this patient population and tumor type is essential.
- Addressing identified knowledge gaps will improve clinical management and outcomes.
Abstract:
Our knowledge of ovarian teratomas in children is still far from complete, and much remains to be discovered. Here, we conduct a scoping review of the primary research related to ovarian teratomas in pediatric age. To our knowledge, there is no published synthesis of the literature surrounding ovarian teratomas in children using scoping review methodology. We identified 24 studies from 11 countries; 18 studies were retrospective, 3 were prospective, and 3 were experimental. There were 6 studies concerning mature teratomas, 5 concerning immature teratomas, and 13 that included both tumor types. Overall, 9 out of all the studies concerned more than 50 patients. We revealed 7 major branches of research within the topic of ovarian teratoma in pediatric population: recurrence rate/relapse and follow-up strategy, malignant potential, prognostic factors, use of sparing surgery, differences between the use of laparoscopy and laparotomy, use of chemotherapy, and additional examinations to test the character of the lesion (immature vs. mature). This scoping review has revealed a number of knowledge gaps in the evidence base for pediatric ovarian teratomas. Overall, this topic has not been extensively explored, and more research dedicated exclusively to this tumor and patient population is required.
