[Ovarian tumors in the reproductive age group]

Abstract

Objectives: Analysis of the type and localization of the ovarian tumors in the reproductive age group of women.

Materials and methods: The study group consisted of all women operated on Gynecologic Surgery Department of Polish Mothers's Memorial Hospital-Research Institute due to ovarian tumors in 1996-99. As the reproductive age we defined 18-39 year, when the majority of deliveries occurs.

Results: We analyzed 326 patients operated on the ovarian tumors. In 60 cases (18.4%) we noticed ovarian malignant tumors, in 7 (2.1%) borderline tumors and in 259 (79.5%) benign cysts. In the reproductive age (130 women) the incidence of ovarian malignancies was significantly lower (4.6%), higher for benign tumors (93.1%) and constant for borderline malignancy (2.3%), p < 0.005. The most common malignancy among all patients was epithelial cancer--83.4% (germ cell and metastatic--8.3%, both), but in the reproductive age group (6 cases) germ cell tumors were the majority--66.8% (epithelial and metastatic--16.6%, both), p < 0.005. In women aged 18-39 yr. with ovarian malignancies 4 of them had I stage of the disease and 2 were in the stage III. 121 women in the reproductive age were operated on the benign ovarian tumors; 107 (88.4%) had unilateral cysts and 14 (11.6%) had tumors in both ovaries. On histology we revealed 31.1% of endometrioid cysts, 28.9%--teratomas, 19.3%--serous, 3.7%--mucinous and others (hemorrhagic, functional, sex cord, inflammatory) in the remaining 17%.

Conclusion: In the reproductive age ovarian tumors are mainly unilateral benign cysts. Only a few of ovarian tumors were malignant but the majority of them were in the early stage of the disease.