Original Articles
Lateral Distribution of Ovarian Dermoid Cyst

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1074-3804(05)60152-1Get rights and content

Abstract

Study Objective

To determine the distribution of ovarian dermoid cysts in a large series of women.

Design

Observational study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).

Setting

University teaching hospitals.

Patients

Three hundred thirty-six women.

Intervention

Evaluation of operative reports.

Measurements and Main Results

Dermoid cysts had a mean diameter of 5.6 cm. They were present in the right ovary (48.8 %), left ovary (37.8%), and bilaterally (13.4%). Unilateral cysts were more frequent in the right ovary (56.4%) than in the left (p = 0.002, odds ratio 1.7, confidence interval 1.2–2.3). This was significantly different from the expected 50% (4.45, χ2). A similar predisposition was found when we included women with bilateral cysts (p <0.01, OR 1.5, CI 1.1–1.9). Patient age and size of cyst did not differ between those with left and right lesions.

Conclusion

In this large cohort of women, ovarian dermoid cysts had a predisposition to a right lateral location.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

We examined the medical records and database of all women who underwent surgical treatment of ovarian dermoid cyst at our institutions. Cyst diameter was assessed by ultrasound examination within 6 weeks before surgery. Data on operative findings consisted of written records, diagrams, and histopathology reports. Only patients with histopathologically confirmed, benign cystic teratomas were included.

Data collected were age of patients at time of surgery, and sites and sizes of ovarian cysts.

Results

Of 336 women (mean age 35.6 ± 0.9 yrs) with ovarian dermoid cysts, 83 were from Montreal and 253 were from Israel. In Montreal, this represented 58.9% of 141 patients with benign ovarian cysts. The main indication for surgery was persistent ovarian cyst. Table 1 shows distribution of cysts. Histopathologic examination revealed benign cystic teratoma in all patients.

Mean cyst diameter was 5.6 ± 2.1 cm. Cysts were present on the right side in 164 women (48.8%), on the left in 127 (37.8%), and

Discussion

No malignancy was encountered in these 336 women, consistent with the low risk of malignancy arising from dermoid cysts (<0.2%). Furthermore, the risk of malignant transformation typically is associated with dermoids cyst larger than 6 cm.4, 5 The reported risk of torsion (3.4%) is higher than the malignancy rate,6 but no woman in this series had ovarian torsion.

We encountered a right lateral predisposition of cysts. Previous studies in fewer patients also reported this tendency.2, 3 This is in

References (17)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (17)

  • Corpus luteum across the first trimester: size and laterality as observed by ultrasound

    2008, Fertility and Sterility
    Citation Excerpt :

    It is interesting to interpret the laterality of ovarian pathology in light of the bias toward right-sided ovulation. For instance, dermoid cysts more commonly are situated on the right side (48.8% right, 37.8% left, and 13.4% bilateral) (14), raising the possibility that ovulation may have some role in pathogenesis. In contrast to this, Hartage and Devesa (15) reported a large study with 25,692 observations of ovarian cancers, in which they concluded that lesions were equally distributed on both sides.

  • Management of cystic benign ovarian teratomas: Laparoscopy versus laparotomy

    2008, Clinica e Investigacion en Ginecologia y Obstetricia
  • Lateral distribution of benign ovarian cysts

    2005, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text