Epithelial Ovarian Tumors in Adolescents: A Retrospective Pathologic Study and a Critical Review of the Literature

• Published in: Journal of pediatric & adolescent gynecology Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 386 - 388
• Main Authors: Grapsa, D., MD, Kairi-Vassilatou, E., MD, PhD, Kleanthis, C., MD, Dastamani, C., MD, Fillipidou, A., MD, Kondi-Pafiti, A., MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2011
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - etiology; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Asymptomatic Diseases; Bias; Child; Cystadenoma, Mucinous - complications; Cystadenoma, Mucinous - epidemiology; Cystadenoma, Mucinous - pathology; Cystadenoma, Serous - complications; Cystadenoma, Serous - epidemiology; Cystadenoma, Serous - pathology; Cystadenomas; Epithelial ovarian tumors; Female; Frequency; Humans; Menstruation Disturbances - etiology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Ovarian Neoplasms - complications; Ovarian Neoplasms - epidemiology; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Pediatrics; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult; Cystadenomas; Frequency; Adolescents; Epithelial ovarian tumors
• ISSN: 1083-3188; 1873-4332
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2011.07.011

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to further evaluate the pathologic features of epithelial ovarian neoplasms and their relative frequency among all ovarian tumors in the adolescent population. Design We conducted a retrospective pathologic study of all cases of epithelial ovarian neoplasms in adolescents (aged 11-19 years) diagnosed in the pathology laboratory of our hospital over the past 25 years. Results A total of 86 ovarian tumors were identified, including 23 epithelium-derived ovarian neoplasms (26.7%), 53 germ cell tumors (61.6%), 9 sex-cord stromal tumors (10.5%) and 1 benign Brenner tumor (1.2%). Most cases of epithelial tumors were found in patients 17 years of age or older (14/23 cases, 60.9%). All tumors were unilateral, and their size ranged from 2.5-21 cm (mean 11.7 cm). Epithelial tumors were further histologically subtyped into 21 benign cystadenomas (14 serous and 7 mucinous) and 2 mucinous borderline tumors. Conclusions A relatively high frequency of epithelial ovarian neoplasms among all ovarian tumors in a purely adolescent population was found in our study. Age-related selection bias may account at least in part for the discrepancy between our data and most previous reports. The most common subtype of epithelial ovarian tumor in our series was the benign serous cystadenoma.