Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of ovarian cysts during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the treatment of ovarian cysts during pregnancy.


METHODS
Nine out of twenty-nine patients between the 6th and the 16th week of gestation with unilateral ovarian cysts ranging between 65 and 540 cm3 in volume were selected for sonographically-guided fine needle aspiration.


RESULTS
No complications were observed at either short or long-term follow-up; all patients delivered healthy infants at term. Clinical and sonographic post-partum follow-up was uneventful in all cases. In three cases it was necessary to repeat the procedure once and in one case twice during pregnancy. In one case a recurrent serous cyst was excised at operative laparoscopy performed 3 months after delivery.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration was safely performed in nine patients as an alternative treatment to surgery when persistent monolateral and unilocular ovarian cysts with regular borders and completely anechoic structure are detected during pregnancy.
Guariglia
L
L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Conte
M
M
Are
P
P
Rosati
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008802:Mezlocillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010053:Ovary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D013396:Suction; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
D010406:Penicillins; D011374:Progesterone; D008802:Mezlocillin