title: Age-Specific Frequencies and Characteristics of Ovarian Cysts in Children and Adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to document ovarian cyst frequency and characteristics as well as distribution of these parameters with respect to age in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 1009 girls between the ages of 5-18 years who presented to our pediatric emergency department (PED) with pelvic pain and therefore underwent pelvic ultrasound examination between June 2011 and May 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 132 of 1009 girls (13.1%) were identified as having ovarian cysts ≥1 cm in diameter. The frequency of ovarian cysts was found to be 1.8% (6/337) in children aged 5-9 years and 18.8% (126/672) in those aged 10-18 years. All the cysts detected in children aged 5-9 years were small (<3 cm) and simple with age-specific frequencies ranging between 1.5-2.7%. With the onset of adolescence, ovarian cyst frequency started to increase with age and ranged between 3.8-31.3% throughout adolescence. Age of peak ovarian cyst frequency was 15 years with a rate of 31.3%. Large ovarian cysts (>5 cm) were identified in 19 adolescents (15.1%) with most occurring during middle adolescence. Of the 19 adolescents, five were found to have cyst-related significant ovarian pathologies including cystadenoma (n=3) and ovarian torsion (n=2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children aged 5-9 years, ovarian cysts were infrequent and small (<3 cm). Peak ovarian cyst frequency was detected at the age of 15 years. All patients diagnosed with cyst-related significant ovarian pathologies were adolescents having a cyst >5 cm in diameter with a complex appearance in most.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey Phone: +90-462-3415656 11572 E-mail: hcemeksiz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hamdi Cihan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Emeksiz
authors.forename: Okşan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Derinöz
authors.forename: Esra Betül
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Akkoyun
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Güçlü Pınarlı
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bideci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology*; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*