Introduction. Transvaginal sonography and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing are cornerstones of modern clinical practice in cases with the suspected ectopic pregnancy. In unclear cases, if the level of hCG is above the discriminatory zones, the use of uterine curettage is recommended. There is an increasing concern that strict observation of the guidelines would potentially harm otherwise normal early intrauterine pregnancies in certain cases. Case Outline. A 35-year-old woman was admitted to hospital due to a severe lower abdominal pain. Based on the positive pregnancy test and sonographic exams which failed to demonstrate intrauterine pregnancy, the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was presumed. Laparoscopy revealed ruptured corpus luteum cyst and the diagnosis was confirmed on histopathological finding. Postoperatively, normal intrauterine gestation was visualized. Conclusion. Since the diagnosis of early pregnancy and its complications can be misleading, in unclear cases, we support the expectative ?wait and see? management consisting of serial hCG testing and repeated ultrasound examinations. Avoidance of uterine curettage in such unclear cases would further reduce the possibility of normal early pregnancy interruption.
Background/Objectives: Due to the rarity and histological heterogeneity of non-epithelial ovarian cancers (NEOCs), monitoring their reproductive and oncological outcomes is challenging. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the oncological and reproductive outcomes of patients with NEOCs treated with fertility-sparing surgery over the past 10 years at our tertiary referral university clinic. Methods: This retrospective study included all the NEOC patients diagnosed and treated with fertility-sparing surgery from 2010 to 2019. The patient demographic and clinical characteristics; data regarding the treatment andthe clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings during follow-up; and disease recurrences were recorded. In this study, the recurrence-free survival and the overall survival were the oncological outcomes. The reproductive outcomes were assessed as attempting and achieving pregnancy. Results: This study included 39 patients. The most frequent NEOCs were granulosa cell tumors (53.8%). The majority of the tumors were in the IA or IC1 stage. The initial therapy was generally a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (30.8%). Adjuvant chemotherapy was received by 48.7% of the patients. An NEOC recurrence was registered in 25.6% of the patients, mostly during the first two postoperative years. The recurrence-free survival was 76.92%. A regression analysis showed that amore advanced stage of NEOC was the most important predictor of disease recurrence. The overall survival rate was 87.2%, with a mean time to an adverse outcome of 23.01 +/−10.68 months. The regression analysis showed that better survival depended mostly on not having disease recurrence. After treatment, ten patients tried to conceive and seven succeeded. All the children were in good condition upon birth. Conclusions: Fertility-sparing treatment for NEOCs was proven as a safe and successful option in terms of both oncological and reproductive outcomes.
The study aimed to assess the oncologic and reproductive outcome of fertility-sparing treatment of stage I borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs). A retrospective study of patients aged 18-40 years with stage I BOTs surgically treated during a 10-year period was conducted. In total, 52 patients (average age 32.7+/-5.9) were followed for 16 to 137 months after BOT diagnosis (mean 73.4 months). The overall survival rate was 100%. Recurrence was registered in 4 patients (7.7%). All patients underwent a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and all histologic findings corresponded with primary BOTs (3 serous; 1 endometrioid). Higher parity increased while the histological type and stage did not impact recurrence. Average recurrence-free survival was 36.2+/-23.6 months regardless of histological type and stage. Recurrence occurred during the first 3 postoperative years in 75% of cases. Out of 45 women treated with fertility-sparing surgery, 64.4% attempted pregnancy and the pregnancy success rate was 44.8%. Only one pregnancy was conceived by assisted reproduction, while all others were spontaneous. The fertility-sparing treatment in stage I borderline ovarian tumors can be a safe and successful option both in terms of oncologic and reproductive outcomes, regardless of patient and treatment characteristics. Pregnancies after BOT surgery can be achieved with satisfactory rates and adequate outcomes.
Introduction: Malignant germ cell tumors (MGCTs), as a subtype of rare non-epithelial ovarian cancers (NOEC), are most commonly found in pregnancy. Of all MGCTs, 38% are dysgerminoma. Considering the rarity of these entities, the aim of this paper is to show a rare case of ovarian dysgerminoma presented in pregnancy and its influence on course and outcome of the pregnancy. Patient Review: Patient aged 26, gravida 2, para 1, with one vaginal delivery five years before, was admitted to the Clinic for Gynecology and obstetrics in term pregnancy because of uterine contractions accompanied by left thigh pain and tingling sensation in the left leg. Solid hypoechogenic mass with regular borders, 125x90 mm in diameter adjacent to the left side of the uterus was seen by ultrasound, without free fluid in pelvic cavity. Since regular uterine contractions started, the decision was made to terminate pregnancy by Caesarean section (CS) because of tumor previa. Histopathological examination confirmed ovarian dysgerminoma, but after staging operation which was performed two months after CS, following imaging diagnostics, ovarian dysgerminoma was confirmed with FIGO stage IA, meaning that patient's specific oncological treatment was finished. Conclusion: Diagnosis of ovarian dysgerminoma is in general challenging since up to 50% are asymptomatic or symptoms are non-specific. The management of ovarian cancer in pregnancy should be multidisciplinary and individualized in the best interest of the mother and the fetus. The overall five-year survival rate for ovarian dysgerminoma is favorable in more than 90% of cases. Women diagnosed with dysgerminoma in pregnancy are young and in general have good feto-maternal outcome.
Prediction models play an important role in adnexal mass assessment since they allow clinicians to reliably differentiate adnexal mass as malignant or benign. The models use clinical and ultrasound features to generate a numerical score or probability of malignancy. The use of prediction models in adnexal mass assessment can have several benefits. For example, they can help clinicians identify patients at higher risk for malignancy and thus candidates for surgical treatment. They can also help to guide decision-making regarding the need for additional imaging and the extent of surgical procedures. One commonly used prediction model in adnexal mass assessment is the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI), which incorporates menopausal status, ultrasound features of an adnexal mass, and serum levels of cancer antigen 125 to classify a lesion. The Simple Rules model is an easy and reproducible prediction model that uses selected (benign and malignant) ultrasound features to determine the likelihood of malignancy. Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model uses clinical and ultrasound features to calculate the probability of different types of malignancy. The malignancies are divided into border-line tumors, invasive ovarian cancer stage I, invasive ovarian cancer stage II - IV and secondary ovarian malignancies. This feature of the ADNEX model offers clinicians a more individualized approach to patients with an adnexal mass. In general, the use of predictive models in the evaluation of adnexal masses can be useful in daily clinical practice, but the decision on further diagnostic or therapeutic procedures should be made following the clinical context, respecting the wishes of the patient.