Pediatric Borderline Ovarian Tumors: A Retrospective Study of 15 Cases at a Single Institution

Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) are rare in pediatric populations and typically follow an indolent clinical course with few reported recurrences. Consequently, guidelines for pediatric BOT management are minimal. We retrospectively examined the management of 15 adolescent patients who underwent BOT resection at our institution over 14 years, with a specific focus on recurrence. Data collected include age, symptoms, tumor characteristics, laboratory markers, surgical management, staging, and follow-up. Fifteen patients with BOTs (median age: 16 y) presented with abdominal pain (67%), or distention (33%). Cancer antigen-125 marker was elevated in 10/13 patients. There were 11 (73%) tumors with serous and 4 (23%) with mucinous histology. Most received fertility-preserving surgery (93%) and disease stage was 1A in 7 (47%), 1B/1C in 5 (33%), and stage 2B or higher in 3 (20%) patients. Additional staging procedures, including peritoneal washings (73%), omentectomy (53%), and peritoneal biopsy (47%), varied in use. Four (27%) patients recurred, with 1 case of benign tumor, 1 BOT, and 2 serous carcinomas. Median patient follow-up was 45 months. BOTs can be successfully treated with fertility-preserving surgery but demonstrate a non-negligible rate of recurrence. We recommend surgical staging and posttreatment surveillance for all patients with BOT.