Prevalence and histologic diagnosis of adnexal cysts in postmenopausal women: an autopsy study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this autopsy study was to examine the prevalence and histologic condition of adnexal cysts in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Adnexa of 234 postmenopausal women who had died from nongynecologic diseases were examined by the team pathologist.


RESULTS
Ovarian cysts were found in 36 of the women (15.4%). Nine women (3.8%) had ovarian cysts with a diameter between 20 and < or =50 mm; 4 women (1.7%) had cysts that were >50 mm in diameter. Four women had bilateral ovarian cysts. Paraovarian cysts were found in 11 women (4.7%). All cysts were benign, except for 1 woman, who had bilateral serous cystadenoma of borderline type. Macroscopically, the borderline cysts were multilocular with mean diameters of 60 mm and 15 mm, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of the high prevalence of benign adnexal cysts, the identification of small unilocular cysts in postmenopausal women should be regarded as a normal finding.
Dørum
Anne
A
Department of Gynecological Oncology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway. anne.dorum@dnr.uio.no
Blom
Gustav P
GP
Ekerhovd
Erling
E
Granberg
Seth
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence