Neonatal and childhood ovarian cysts

Review of a 25-Year Experience in the Management of Ovarian Masses in Neonates, Children and Adolescents: From Laparoscopy to Robotics and Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Technology

Background: Ovarian masses in pediatric populations are the most common abdominal masses in young girls. In neonates, the majority of masses are benign while in children and teen-agers the risk of malignancy exists. The aim of this study is to perform a 25-year experience retrospective analysis of clinical and therapeutic aspects of ovarian tumors in girls, in order to show how the development of minimally invasive technology has changed the management of this pathology. Methods: The records of patients under the age of 18 who were operated in three pediatric surgical units due to ovarian mass, in the last 25 years, were reviewed retrospectively. The study group comprised 147 patients operated between 1996 and 2021 with a diagnosis of ovarian masses. Data involved were demographical, surgical, follow-up and final diagnosis. We analyzed the type of surgical technique, intra-operative data (operative time, the use of different technologies), complications, length of stay and long-term follow-up. Based on these data, we assessed how the surgical approach to ovarian masses has changed in the last 25 years in newborns and young girls. Results: The patients ages ranged between 7 days and 15 years (median, 59 days). All the procedures were completed in laparoscopy or robotics without conversion in open surgery. One-hundred and eleven patients were neonates; they all had follicular cysts and they were all managed in laparoscopy using 1 or 3 trocars. In 80/111 patients (72%), a small part of ovarian parenchyma was saved; in 31/111 patients (28%), in which the ovarian parenchyma was not available, an ovariectomy was performed. Patients in which we saved a small part of ovary, at long term follow-up (minimum follow-up of 12 years) (29/80, 36%), developed a normal ovary at US control. Thirty-six were older patients. They had a histological diagnosis of benign (30) or malign (6) tumors. All the patients (8/36) with a pre-operative suspicion of ovarian malignancy received an ovariectomy and an adnexectomy using sealing devices. In the last 10 years in all the children, except neonates, we adopted sealing devices and, in the last 4 years, in 20 cases, we always adopted ICG fluorescence technology to check ovarian vascularization in case of torsion or to check lympho-nodes condition in case of malignancy. Conclusions: In neonatal ovarian cysts, surgical management remained unchanged and an ovarian sparing procedure is always indicated and the long-term follow-ups confirm this hypothesis. The principal innovation in this age period is the use of ICG fluorescence technology to check ovarian vascularization in case of torsion. In teenagers, the decision-making strategy is based on the tumoral markers and on the morphological aspects of the mass. Robotics cystectomy or ovariectomy now-days represents the safer and faster way to perform this. Sealing devices are essential tools for dissection and resection to avoid bleeding. ICG fluorescence technology in all ages is fundamental to check ovary vascularization after detorsion or to check lympho-node status in case of malignancy. All the suspected lesions have to be removed with an endo-bag.

Is Conservative Management of Prenatal and Neonatal Ovarian Cysts Justifiable?

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate conservative management of fetal and neonatal ovarian cysts.

METHODS

We followed the progress of 11 fetal and 2 neonatal ovarian cysts.

RESULTS

Ten fetal cysts were simple at recognition, but 8 silently became complex by birth, with ovarian loss in 6/11 cases (54%). In 2 cases where large simple cysts presented for the first time at birth, serious complications occurred, resulting in the death of 1 newborn.

CONCLUSIONS

If a fetal ovarian cyst is already complex before birth it can be managed conservatively, albeit with loss of the ipsilateral ovary in the majority of cases. As simple fetal ovarian cysts frequently become complex before birth, intervention may be justifiable to preserve the ovary. But any intervention also has the potential for complications, and may be ineffective. Intervention also requires accurate differentiation of ovarian cysts from other abdominal cysts.

Ovarian cysts in infants and children

The etiology of ovarian cysts varies with the developmental stage and hormonal milieu of the patient. In general, most ovarian cysts are functional in nature and usually resolve without treatment. Treatment is indicated if the diagnosis is in question, the cyst persists, or the patient is symptomatic. Laparoscopy has become the approach favored by most pediatric surgeons for the treatment of ovarian cysts. All surgical procedures for ovarian cysts should spare functional ovary as much as is technically possible. Simple cysts should be fenestrated. Complex or functional cysts should be excised, with preservation of the remaining ovary.

Sudden death in an infant resulting from torsion of the uterine adnexa

A 2-month-old infant girl died suddenly as a result of torsion of the uterine adnexa. The infant was found unresponsive in bed and was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival at a hospital. There were no antecedent signs of illness. At autopsy, the right ovary and right fallopian tube were twisted and were dark purple, swollen, and necrotic. The right ovary was enlarged by a follicle cyst 4 cm in diameter, which likely precipitated the torsion. The mechanism of death was unclear but may have resulted from the release of cytokines produced in response to necrotic adnexal tissue. Fatal uterine adnexal torsion has been reported rarely in infants; in all those cases there were antecedent symptoms. Torsion of the uterine adnexa should be included in the differential diagnosis of sudden death in infancy.

Ovarian masses in the newborn

Prenatal sonography uncovers many fetal ovarian masses that previously would have gone unrecognized. This challenges clinicians to learn the natural history of these asymptomatic lesions so as to provide the best care postnatally. Spontaneous resolution of simple ovarian cysts is expected by about 6 months of age, which is attributed to predicted changes in the postnatal hormonal milieu. After birth, levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and estrogen plummet. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) rise until about 3 months of age and then fall as the "gonadostat" matures. Although symptomatic cysts demand intervention, simple asymptomatic cysts less than 5 cm in diameter should be left alone but reassessed sonographically. If simple cysts are larger than 5 cm in diameter the risk of torsion may be significant, and intervention often is advocated. However, the risk of torsion versus the likelihood of resolution is not well established. The therapeutic goal for a clinician managing a newborn with a simple ovarian cyst is to maximize ovarian salvage. Aspiration alone may be a reasonable option. The laparascopic approach to the neonatal ovarian cyst provides a view of both ovaries and allows aspiration, unroofing, cystectomy, or ovariectomy. The sonographically complex cyst usually represents adnexal torsion but could be a neoplasm and warrants intervention because the morbidity from untreated neonatal adnexal torsion can be significant beyond loss of the ovary (eg, hemorrhage, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction, or a wandering tumor).

Office management of ovarian cysts

Ovarian cysts are detected in female patients of all ages. The patient's age, the size of the cyst, and the ultrasound appearance are helpful in determining which ovarian cysts necessitate observation and which necessitate surgical excision. The cancer antigen 125 level alone does not help to distinguish between benign and malignant ovarian cysts. The combination of benign findings on pelvic examination, a benign ultrasound appearance, and a cancer antigen 125 level within normal limits indicates a benign origin in practically all cases.

Torsion of uterine adnexa in neonates and children: a report of 20 cases

Twenty children under the age of 14 years with torsion of the uterine adnexa are discussed. Of the 14 postnatal cases, 8 were associated with additional ovarian pathology whereas in 6 cases the torsion was of normal uterine adnexa. Six additional cases had antenatal torsion with "pseudocyst" formation. All 14 postnatal cases presented as acute abdominal emergency requiring immediate surgery. Only 6 of the 14 had been correctly diagnosed preoperatively, the rest being mostly diagnosed as acute appendicitis. Sonographic studies can improve the preoperative diagnosis. Hemorrhagic necrosis of the adnexa (secondary to the torsion) was found in all cases except one, and necessitated adnexal resection. In only one case preservation of the adnexa was possible. Fixation of the contralateral ovary is recommended in cases of torsion of normal uterine adnexa. All six cases of antenatal torsion were diagnosed by routine ultrasonography during pregnancy between the 29th and 40th week of gestation. The "fluid-fluid" level sign is characteristic of this lesion. These neonates were born in no acute distress and were found to be completely asymptomatic. Hence, they did not require urgent surgery and underwent operation electively at the age of 2 weeks. Resection of the pseudocyst with fixation of the contralateral ovary is the treatment of choice in these cases.

Successful intrauterine therapy of a large fetal ovarian cyst

Fetal ovarian cysts can be managed in different ways, depending upon their size and clinical course: conservatively, by open surgery or by postnatal transabdominal puncture. However, in cases of large cysts detected antenatally and affecting the ongoing pregnancy, in utero transabdominal puncture can be undertaken, without increase of risk. A case of such a puncture at 30 weeks gestation is reported.

Three years' experience with large ovarian cysts diagnosed in utero

Thirteen fetuses with abdominal cystic tumors were diagnosed by routine prenatal ultrasonography between the 28th and 36th week of gestation. Postnatal ultrasonography of the full-term newborns confirmed the findings. Laparotomies were performed in all cases except one. Patients who were operated on had large ovarian pseudocysts with volumes between 24 and 120 cc. In seven patients (54%), the cysts arose from the left ovary; this included four cases in which the postnatal ultrasound was interpreted as showing the cysts in the right abdomen. Very thin cystic walls threatening perforation were found in 91%. In 33%, we found salpingotorsion on the affected side. Small contralateral ovarian cysts were found in 66% of the patients. One infant required resection of 30 cm of necrotic jejunum because adhesions to the cyst had caused bowel volvulus. Histology of the cysts showed hemorrhage and calcifications, but ovarian stroma was absent in all but one patient. Serum estradiol-17 beta, progesterone follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone were normal in all cases, and similar levels were found in the cyst fluid. These results show that large abdominal cystic masses in full-term infant girls with normal gonadotrophin levels and normal serum estradiol-17 beta and progesterone levels are very likely to require surgery; this is in contrast to preterm neonates with elevated gonadotrophins who can be treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate in the absence of clinical signs necessitating surgery.

Prenatal diagnosis and management of fetal ovarian cysts

Congenital ovarian cysts are a pathological condition which can be diagnosed in utero by ultrasound. We report 14 consecutive diagnoses of fetal ovarian cysts, obtained in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Congenital ovarian cysts have almost invariably a good prognosis, and no change in the standard obstetrical management is required. However, the evolution of the disease in utero is extremely variable. The cyst may increase in size, decrease or even disappear, or undergo complications such as torsion and rupture, which may carry some risks to the fetus. When a fetal ovarian cyst is detected, serial ultrasound examinations should be performed. If one of the above complications is suspected, the option of prompt caesarean section should be considered.

Neonatal ovarian cysts: therapeutic dilemma

Seven cases of neonatal ovarian cysts that presented over the past seven years were studied. Complications included torsion and rupture and usually occurred in cysts more than 5 cm in diameter. Surgical removal, either oophorectomy or cystectomy, was the treatment of choice. Because even cystectomy results in loss of normal ovarian tissue, and because spontaneous regression of cysts less than 5 cm in diameter can occur, a more conservative approach is now proposed. Regular ultrasonography alone is recommended if the cysts are less than 5 cm in diameter, and aspiration of the cysts followed by regular ultrasonographs if the cysts are more than 5 cm in diameter. Operation should be reserved for recurrent cysts or for those with complications. Cysts diagnosed antenatally may be aspirated in utero if there are signs of thoracic compression.

Neonatal ovarian torsion: report of three cases and review of the literature

Ovarian cysts are common incidental findings in term infants and, if unusually large, may result in dystocia, torsion, or rupture. Torsion and infarction of a normal ovary tend to occur in older childhood. During a 4-month period, 3 cases of neonatal ovarian torsion were observed after antenatal ultrasonography had detected fetal pelvico-abdominal cystic lesions. The three infants were explored between 4 and 16 days of age. Ovarian torsion was right-sided in all 3, and 1 ovary had been autoamputated. The resected specimens were nontense, thin-walled cysts, filled with hemorrhagic fluid, that measured between 4.5 and 8 cm in diameter. Microscopically, focal calcification and widespread necrosis precluded recognition of underlying histologic landmarks. Neonatal ovarian cysts or cystic ovaries greater than 4 cm in diameter should be excised, even if asymptomatic, because they are prone to, or have undergone, torsion.

Diagnosis of ovarian follicular cysts from birth to puberty: a report of twenty cases

Twenty girls aged 1 day to 17 years have been studied for ovarian follicular cysts. Clinical features leading to the discovery of the follicular cyst were different in prepubertal girls and in girls whose cyst was discovered during puberty. Before seven years of age, four girls presented a precocious pseudopuberty where breast development was in contrast with very low pituitary gonadotropin levels; two girls in this age group were diagnosed after complaining about abdominal pain. In two cases the diagnosis was prenatal during routine ultrasonography of the mother. After ten years of age, abnormal menses (5 cases) or acute abdominal pain (5 cases) were the main clinical features. In only one case the cyst presented as an abdominal mass. Follow-up of the 20 patients showed: spontaneous disappearance of the cyst within 3 to 32 weeks in 9 cases; ovariectomy in 8 cases, due to a torsion of a large cyst (over 55 mm) in 7 children and because of the fear of a possible tumor in one; limited resection of the cyst in 4 cases. By systematic ultrasonography, discovery of an ovarian cyst as defined by a non-echogenic area over 20 mm may occur relatively often in young girls. Spontaneous disappearance is frequent when the cyst is small (under 55 mm). Torsion of large cysts remains the major complication.

Ovarian cysts in childhood

This is a review of cases of ovarian cyst encountered in childhood in the Manchester children's hospitals. The patients presented with acute or recurrent abdominal pain or an abdominal or pelvic mass. The commonest cyst found was a teratoma, which was discovered because of its size or because of a complication. All but one of the girls with teratomas had not reached puberty. After puberty the cysts were follicular or luteal in type, although there was one case of cystadenoma. Complications in the form of torsion, rupture which haemoperitoneum or haemorrhage into the cyst were common. Treatment consisted of ovarian cystectomy, oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy, and the results were satisfactory.