Ovarian tumors in children and adolescents--a clinical study of 52 patients in a university hospital.

Study Objective: To review the clinical presentation of ovarian tumors in children and adolescents treated at the University of Dammam and King Fahad University Hospital.

Design: Data of the patients was noted retrospectively from the hospital medical records regarding age, presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.

Setting: The study was carried out in the Ob/Gyn department at King Fahad Hospital of Dammam University, Saudi Arabia between January 1985 and December 2009.

Participants: There were 52 patients between 6 and 20 years of age who presented with an ovarian tumor during the study period.

Intervention: Preoperative diagnostic approach included history, physical examination, ultrasonography, radiological examination, tumor markers, operative treatment, and histopathological examination of the tumor. Chemotherapy was given to patients where indicated.

Results: The main presenting symptom was abdominal pain in 30 (58%) patients. Of the neoplastic tumors, 87% were germ cell tumors, of which 73% were benign while 13% were malignant. Operative procedures included 48 (92%) exploratory laparotomies and 4 (8%) laparoscopic resections. Ovarian cystectomy was done in 23 (44%) patients and salpingoophorectomy in 28 (54%) patients. Of the 7 (13%) patients with malignant tumors, five received postoperative chemotherapy. Three patients with malignancy died in the series.

Conclusion: Early diagnosis of ovarian masses in young girls is important. Since most of these masses are benign, operation should be designed to optimize future fertility, while the treatment of malignant tumors would involve complete staging, resection of the tumor, postoperative chemotherapy when indicated, to give the patient a chance for future childbearing.