Ovarian Pathologies in Childhood

Abstract

Ovarian diseases are not rare in childhood and some problems are encountered with in evaluation of ovarian pathologies such as existance of different terminologies, lack of pathological criteria and different types of tumor classiffications. 55 patients younger than 16 years who had ovarian disease were treated and followed up and then the results were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were seperated in 3 groups as ovarian torsions (n:21), neoplastic ovarian pathologies (n:19) and non-neoplastic ovarian pathologies (n:28). Most frequent clinical symptom was abdominal pain and most frequent clinical finding was abdominal sensitivity in all groups. 1n non-neoplastic ovarian pathology group, 21 patients were treated surgically whereas seven were treated conservatively. As the result of histopathological examinations follicular cysts (n:11), simple cysts (n:8), corpus luteum cysts (n:7), paraovarian cyst (n:1) and massive ovarian edema (n:1) were observed. 1n the neoplastic ovarian pathology group, all patients were treated surgically and 8 serous cystadenoma, 7 mature cystic teratoma, 2 dysgerminoma, 1 juvenile granulosa cell tumor, and 1 seromucinous borderline tumor were observed after histopathological examinations. 1n the ovarian torsion group, torsions were due to non- neoplastic pathology in 7 and neoplastic pathology in 6 patients. Torsions were developed without any cysts or tumor in 8 patients. Oopherectomy or salphingoopherctomy was performed in twenty patients. 1n one patient ovary was preserved as circulation turned normal after detorsion. Ovarian pathologies are not rare in childhood and should be included in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in girls. Extensive use of radiological studies have facilitated the diagnosis of these lesions.