Simple cyst in the postmenopausal patient: detection and management.

Abstract

The aims of our study were to determine the prevalence of simple ovarian cysts in asymptomatic postmenopausal patients and to investigate the natural history of these cysts by ultrasonographic follow-up examinations. Three thousand five hundred and eighty-five women participated in the volunteer pelvic cancer screening program. Entry criteria were as follows: postmenopausal, no clinical symptoms, and no previous gynecologic pathology. An anechoic, small cyst less than 5 cm in greatest diameter was classified as a simple ovarian cyst. A scoring system to determine malignant potential had been established previously. All simple cysts had a score of 2 or less and had a morphology typical of benign lesions. In the case of a positive finding, the patient would be seen at 3 to 6 month intervals. The decision for surgical intervention was made by a private gynecologist or patient or if an interval change was noted. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine postmenopausal women (49.34% of all patients from the screening program) participated in this study. One hundred and sixteen simple cysts were found, with a prevalence of 6.6% in our population. Among those patients, 27 (23.28%) simple cysts resolved spontaneously, 69 (59.48%) have persisted, and 20 (17.24%) have been lost to follow-up study. Eighteen women (26.09%) with persistent simple ovarian cyst underwent surgery. No malignant ovarian conditions were identified. In conclusion, simple ovarian cysts are more common in postmenopausal women than previously was thought. This condition is very unlikely to be malignant and can be followed conservatively.

Mutations of BRAF and KRAS Precede the Development of Ovarian Serous Borderline Tumors

“…The frequency of mutations in BRAF and KRAS in cystadenomas associated with SBTs was significantly higher than those without SBTs (P Ͻ 0.001, Fisher's exact test; Table 2). This finding together with the fact that SBTs are relatively uncommon as compared to cystadenomas (21)(22)(23)(24)(25) suggests that only a small proportion of serous cystadenomas are neoplastic with the potential to progress to SBTs. Finally, our findings suggest a "gatekeeper" role of BRAF and KRAS genes in the development of low-grade serous carcinomas (26).…”

Prevalence, incidence, and natural history of simple ovarian cysts among women >55 years old in a large cancer screening trial

“…Much of the knowledge gained about the occurrence and course of simple ovarian cysts in post-menopausal women comes from smaller case series 9–10. Oyelese11 summarized the results of 5 studies from the late 1980s and 1990s,10, 12–15 with numbers of post-menopausal women examined ranging from 149 to 7705, and simple cyst prevalence ranging from 3.3 to 14.8%. Levine found 17% of 184 women had simple adnexal cysts following first examination with transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound 16.…”

Cytokine response in the postoperative period after surgical treatment of benign adnexal masses: comparison between laparoscopy and laparotomy

“…Key words: Cyst -Ovary -Cytokines -Laparoscopy -Laparotomy Adnexal masses comprise approximately 18% of all gynecological pathologies and are found in 6%-11% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women during routine gynecological or ultrasound examination [6,11,12]. Approximately 85%-90% of all adnexal masses are benign [16].…”