Ovarian lesions in children and adolescents: 10-year histological analysis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the causes of oophorectomies, oophoroplasties and ovarian biopsies performed in children and adolescents. METHODS: A descriptive and retrospective cross-sectional study through the review of anatomopathological reports from the Pathology Service of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital Complex in Porto Alegre. Female patients aged between 0 and 19 years who underwent ovarian surgery between January 2006 and December 2016 were included. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients were included, in which both ovaries were equally affected (p=0.926). The surgical specimens ranged from 4 to 3000 grams and from 1.6 to 32 cm in diameter. Most patients (75.2%) underwent oophorectomy, and the mean age was 11.78 years (SD ± 5.56 years), with the majority being adolescents (70.1%). Of the 117 cases, 108 were due to benign causes (92.3%) and nine cases (7.7%) were due to malignant causes. Of the benign causes, the most common etiology was mature teratoma (31 cases = 26.4%). Of the nine cancer cases, five (71.4%) had slightly increased tumor markers. CONCLUSIONS: Although only 7.7% of the patients had malignant disease, 75% underwent oophorectomy. This finding is a warning for surgeons and gynecologists to create more defined criteria for when to perform oophorectomy, since most lesions are benign and this organ plays an important role in puberty and reproductive function.