title: Laparoscopic management of ovarian tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopy can be used with minimal operative morbidity to evaluate adnexal masses. We report our experience with the endoscopic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian tumors. In particular, we describe 11 patients who incidentally underwent laparoscopy and in whom the ovarian masses were found to be malignant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 1994 and September 1996, 292 patients with 316 ovarian tumors were treated laparoscopically in the Department of Obstetrics-Gynaecology, University of Ulm. We assessed vaginal ultrasonography, clinical assessment, the tumor marker CA 12-5, and the intraoperative low-power magnification for their value in predicting the final diagnosis in all laparoscopically treated ovarian tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a total of 292 patients with ovarian tumors, 11 were diagnosed, intraoperatively or after final histologic examination, as having a malignant or borderline ovarian tumor. All applied pre- and intraoperative diagnostic procedures were by themselves too unreliable to exclude early stages of ovarian carcinoma exactly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of the present findings, we are tempted to conclude that laparoscopic surgery is justified in the management of ovarian tumors. Even with an accurate preoperative selection of suitable patients for laparoscopic surgery, the presence of an undetected ovarian carcinoma cannot be entirely excluded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstr. 43, D-89070 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stoz
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Nitsch
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Rossmanith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen