Results after laparoscopic management of serous borderline tumor of the ovary with peritoneal implants.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic treatment of borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) with peritoneal implants.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients treated initially and/or for recurrent disease using a laparoscopic approach for a stage II or stage III BOT between January 2001 and January 2004.

Results: Nine patients underwent a laparoscopic pure treatment of stage II/III serous borderline tumor. Three of them had a previous history of BOT. Three patients had a stage II and 6 a stage III disease. A conservative management was performed in 7 patients. Laparoscopic treatment of peritoneal implants included: omentectomy (or omental biopsies) in 4 patients and/or large peritoneal resection in 5 patients (pelvic peritoneum in all patients associated with peritonectomies of paracolic gutters in 2 and of the peritoneum of the right diaphragmatic peritoneum in 3). Implants were nonivasive in 8 patients. Each of implant had a size <5 mm. Four patients recurred, 3 of them had a borderline ovarian recurrence after conservative management. Two patients had peritoneal disease found during a second-look surgery (associated with ovarian recurrence in 1). Three spontaneous pregnancies were observed. All patients are alive without evidence of disease with a median time of follow-up of 35 months following the laparoscopic treatment.

Conclusion: Our series suggests that laparoscopic treatment of patients with BOT associated with small size non-invasive implants is feasible and seem to be safe. The main indication of this management consists in young patients treated conservatively to preserve their fertility.