Publication:

Ovarian tumours associated with pregnancy: a five year retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital

Background Pregnancy with ovarian tumors was reviewed over a 5 year period to determine the types of ovarian tumors associated with pregnancy in patients undergoing surgery and also the maternal and fetal outcome.

Methods This retrospective study of 17 cases of ovarian tumors treated surgically during pregnancy and puerperium was carried out at a tertiary hospital between June 2009 and June 2014 to determine the incidence, clinico pathological features and outcome.

Results The overall incidence of ovarian tumor in pregnant woman undergoing surgery was 1 in 1693 (0.025%) deliveries. 52.87%   tumors were diagnosed in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.  Ten (58.82%) presented as an emergency at different periods of gestation with torsion being the most common cause of surgery. Serous cyst adenoma (23.52%) and dermoid tumor (17.64%) were the most common types of ovarian tumors found in the study. The incidence of malignant tumors was one (5.88%).Maternal outcome was uneventful in all patients. Abortion rate was 100% in first trimester. Outcome in second trimester is inconclusive as few patients were lost to follow-up. Patients diagnosed in third trimester had an uneventful fetal outcome.

Conclusions Ovarian tumors are encountered with greater frequency, most being benign and self-resolving with malignancy occurring in a small minority of cases. Removal of persisting or enlarging ovarian masses as soon as possible is important to obtain a final histologic diagnosis and rule out malignancy.