title: [Retrospective study of 167 ovarian tumors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to assess clinical particularities, diagnosis and therapeutic problems of ovarian tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 156 patients having undergone an operation for ovarian tumor not suspected to be malignant between january 1991 and june 1998. The clinical, ultrasonographic and tumor marker data were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of our patients was 34 years. 19 patients were menopausal. All ovarian masses were considered as benign at ultrasonographic scan. Serum CA125 level was measured in 42 cases. It was abnormal in 2 cases. 102 patients underwent laparotomy. 54 patients underwent laparoscopy, of these, 19 were converted to laparotomy due to a suspect macroscopic diagnosis (2 cases) or to technical difficulties (13 cases). Histological findings were 150 benign ovarian tumors, 12 fonctional cysts and 5 malignant ovarian tumors. Therefore, preoperative assessment had failed diagnosis of cancer in 5 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical, ultrasonographic and tumor markers triad remains the best preoperative approach currently available for ovarian tumors. However, the final diagnosis remains histological.
authors.affiliation: Service de gynécologie obstétrique A Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Tunis.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chechia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaubâa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahri
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terras
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makhlouf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen