Transvaginal sonographic characteristics of paraovarian borderline tumor

Abstract

Parovarian cysts are common disorders which constitute 10-20% of adnexal masses in pathologically verified series. Most of these cysts are benign, and borderline parovarian tumors are rare and documented only as case reports in the literature. The study was aim to examine the sonographic features of parovarian borderline tumors for making an accurate preoperative diagnosis. Four patients (mean age 49 years, ranged from 35 to 75 years) with a pathological proven parovarian borderline tumor were retrospectively recruited. Preoperative transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and color Doppler ultrasonography were examined, and histological reports were analyzed. All tumors were correctly diagnosed as parovarian tumors at preoperative TVS. The cysts were hypoechoic and showed a variable number of papillary projections growing from the inner wall in 3 patients. Color Doppler examination of the papillae showed the presence of blood vessels in two of those three patients. In addition, histological analysis of the removed tumors demonstrated two parovarian serous borderline cystadenomas and two parovarian serous papillary borderline cystadenomas. TVS might be useful in making a preoperative diagnosis of borderline parovarian tumors.

Keywords: Parovarian cysts; borderline tumor; transvaginal sonography.

Figure 1

Transvaginal ultrasound images of case 3. A. The parovarian unilocular hypoechoic cyst was close to but separate from the ipsilateral ovary. Note the presence of the papilla growing from the cyst wall. B. The vascular signals within the papilla were shown.

Figure 2

Photomicrograph of the parovarian borderline tumors (case 3). In some places of papillary structures, epithelial stratification was seen without nuclear atypia. (H-E staining with magnification at 10 and 40 in (A) and (B), respectively).