July - September 2015, Volume 11, Issue 3

Balanescu RN, Balanescu L, Moga AA, Dragan GC, Caragata RF, Djendov FB

Management of Ovarian Cysts in the Neonatal Period

Acta Endo (Buc) 2015, 11 (3): 325-328
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2015.325

Introduction. The most frequent abdominal tumors in newborn girls are ovarian cysts, with an incidence of more than 30%. Smaller cysts (<4-5 cm) can regress spontaneously within the first 1-6 months after birth and usually require periodic follow-up, while larger cysts have a greater risk of torsion (50-70% of cases), rupture, hemorrhage or can determine compression on nearby organs. There still is no general consensus regarding the optimal management of ovarian cysts in newborns and infants Patients. Methods. Seven newborn female patients were referred to our hospital from maternity wards with a prenatal diagnosis of abdominal mass, over a period of 4 years (2011-2015). In all cases the postnatal ultrasound confirmed the presence of a cystic mass pertaining to the right or left ovary. We divided the patients into 2 groups taking into account the size of the cystic masses and their radiological characteristics: if the cyst was smaller than 4 cm, we followed the patient with periodic ultrasounds and in cases where the cyst was greater than 4 cm, surgical management was considered if the patient presented with complications. Of the 7 cases, 4 underwent surgery, while in 3 cases the decision was made to perform periodic followups. Conclusion. Ovarian cysts are frequently encountered in the neonatal period. No precise guide to the management of this pathology has been established. Close follow-up should be performed and surgical intervention should be done in order to avoid complications.

Keywords: cystic mass, ovary, newborn, treatment.

Correspondence: Laura Balanescu MD, “Grigore Alexandrescu” Emergency Hospital for Children, Bdul Iancu de Hunedoara 30-32, Bucharest, 040587, Romania, E-mail: laura7balanescu@yahoo.com