Ovary-sparing surgery for teratomas in children

To share our experience in ovary-sparing surgery for teratomas in children.

The medical records of nine patients (mean age of 11.2 years, r 6–15 years) who had undergone ovary-sparing surgery for teratoma were analyzed retrospectively. Mean duration for follow-up was 29.5 months (r 15–75 months).

Five patients suffered from chronic abdominal pain; two had acute colicky abdominal pain. In two patients, there was no presenting clinical symptom. Two patients were operated on emergency basis due to symptoms related with acute abdomen. On the other hand, seven were operated electively. Ultrasonography was performed in all patients. Additionally, MRI and tumor markers were performed in all but two. Main radiologic findings consisted of heterogenous cystic and solid ovarian masses predictive of teratoma. The definitive diagnosis in emergency cases were as follows: perforated appendicitis plus teratoma [1]; torsion of the ovarian mass with teratoma [1]. The final diagnosis in electively treated seven patients were: unilateral ovarian teratoma [4], bilateral ovarian teratoma [1], bilateral teratoma plus appendiceal inflammatory mass [1], unilateral teratoma and contralateral corpus hemorrhagicum cyst [1]. The operations were performed by open conventional surgery in six and laparoscopy in three patients. The procedures were ovary-sparing surgery in 12 ovaries, appendectomy in 2 patients and detorsion of ovary in 1 patient. The main indication for ovary-sparing surgery was the “existence of a perfect dissection plane between the tumor margins and healthy ovarian tissue”. The remaining ovarian tissue was evaluated macroscopically for residual lesions. Frozen section was performed in three suspected patients and the ovarian margins were free of any tumor cell. The pathologic diagnosis was: mature cystic teratoma in 10, immature teratoma in 1 and corpus hemorrhagicum cyst in 1. The postoperative outcome and follow-up was uneventful.

Heterogenous ovary mass containing solid and cystic portions with echogenic areas on ultrasound imaging is highly suggestive of ovarian teratomas. Emergent surgical intervention is indicated if there is any suspicion of ovarian torsion. Otherwise, MRI is performed for further radiological evaluation. Based on radiologic findings, ovary-sparing surgery can be safely performed if the preoperative diagnosis is teratoma and there is always a plane of dissection between the normal ovary and cyst wall.