Clinical characteristics and surgical management options for ovarian fibroma/fibrothecoma: a study of 97 cases.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnostic features, and operative outcomes of patients with ovarian fibroma/fibrothecoma and to discuss appropriate management options.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective comparative analysis of 97 patients with ovarian fibroma/fibrothecoma who underwent laparoscopic and laparotomic procedures, including tumorectomy between January 2008 and December 2011.


RESULTS
The mean patient age was 42.5 ± 11.4 years. Seventy-three patients (75.3%) were premenopausal women. A preoperative diagnosis of benign ovarian tumor or fibroma was made in only 49 cases (50.5%). We found that 42.2% of cases were misdiagnosed as uterine myomas (n = 41) and 6.2% were misdiagnosed as malignant ovarian tumors (n = 6). The presence of ascites was associated with larger tumor size (p < 0.05) but not higher CA125 levels (p = 0.159). Twenty-nine patients (29.9%) underwent laparotomy, and 68 (70.1%), laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery facilitated shorter operation times than laparotomy (p < 0.05). Tumorectomy was performed in 40 patients (43.5%), 36 (90%) of whom underwent laparoscopy with operative outcomes comparable to those of patients who underwent laparotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Ovarian fibromas/fibrothecomas are often misdiagnosed as uterine myomas and malignant ovarian tumors. Laparoscopic surgery including tumorectomy may be an effective surgical approach in patients with ovarian fibromas/fibrothecomas.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dong-A University Medical Center, Dong-A University, College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
Yeon Jean
YJ
Cho
Hee Suk
HS
Lee
Joo Myung
JM
Kim
Kwan Young
KY
Joo
Mi-La
ML
Kim
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013798:Thecoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome