Endoscopic surgery for mature teratoma of the ovary.
BACKGROUND
This study was undertaken to assess the value of laparoscopic surgery as treatment for benign mature teratomas of the ovary.


METHODS
A total of 70 patients treated exclusively with laparoscopic surgery for ovarian mature teratoma were studied. The tumors were either enucleated with preservation of the ovary or removed by salpingo-oophorectomy.


RESULTS
Ovary-preserving surgery was performed in 60 cases; salpingo-oophorectomy was accomplished in 10 cases. All tumors removed were histologically benign. No surgical complications were encountered throughout the series. In eight patients who underwent primary ovary-preserving surgery, a second-look laparoscopy was undertaken with virtually no pathological findings noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm those of other authors- when performed by experienced surgeons, laparoscopic removal of ovarian mature teratomas is a safe and recommendable alternative to laparotomy. Preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative inspection of the tumor must be as thorough as possible.
Ulrich
U
U
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ulm, Germany.
Keckstein
J
J
Paulus
W
W
Sasse
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000601:surgery*