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Updated: Oct 11, 2025
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A Coregistered Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging Protocol for the Transvaginal Imaging of Ovarian Lesions
Published on: March 3, 2023
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Ovarian Cystadenomas: Growth Rate and Reliability of Imaging Measurements
Elizabeth Suh-Burgmann1,2, Masoud Nakhaei3, Sonia Gupta3
1Division of Gynecologic Oncology, The Permanente Medical Group, Walnut Creek, CA, USA.
Summary
Benign ovarian cystadenomas grow about 0.65 cm per year. This growth rate is similar to ultrasound measurement errors, meaning yearly ultrasounds are needed to track cyst growth accurately.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Radiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Benign ovarian cystadenomas are common cystic neoplasms.
- Accurate monitoring of cystadenoma growth is crucial for clinical management.
- Ultrasound is a primary imaging modality for evaluating ovarian cysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the growth rate of benign ovarian cystadenomas.
- To quantify the variability in ultrasound measurements of these cysts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of ultrasound data from two independent cohorts.
- Mixed-effects modeling to assess growth rate based on maximum dimension.
- Radiologist measurements of adnexal imaging to determine interobserver, intra-observer, and intermodality variability.
Main Results:
- Median growth rate for cystadenomas was 0.65 cm/year.
- Mucinous cystadenomas grew faster (0.83 cm/year) than serous cystadenomas (0.51 cm/year).
- 11% of ultrasound measurements differed by over 1 cm, with higher variability in cine clips (SD 0.74 cm) than static images (SD 0.41 cm).
Conclusions:
- Benign cystadenomas exhibit a median growth rate of 0.65 cm/year.
- Ultrasound measurement variability is substantial, often exceeding 1 cm.
- Repeat ultrasounds at intervals longer than one year are recommended to reliably assess cystadenoma growth.
