Preoperative sonographic evaluation and laparoscopic management of persistent adnexal masses: a 1994 review

Carcinoma of the ovary is a frightening disease because it is a major cause of death due to cancer in women and is the leading cause of deaths from gynecologic malignancies. The disease is associated with a common clinical problem: persistent adnexal masses, most of which are benign. Operative laparoscopy has become an increasingly attractive way of diagnosing and removing adnexal masses. The practicing general gynecologist thus faces two new dilemmas: not to miss an early ovarian cancer or manage an unsuspected one to the patient's detriment, and not to perform extensive major surgery for adnexal masses, most of which can be handled laparoscopically. Fortunately, pertinent data exist on which the resolution of these dilemmas may be based.