Long-term follow-up of children with ovarian cysts diagnosed prenatally

Objective: To assess long-term outcomes of children who had ovarian cysts diagnosed prenatally. Methods: We reviewed prenatal records of fetuses diagnosed with ovarian cysts in our ultrasound unit between January 1997 and December 2008. During January-April 2009, those children were invited to our institute for transabdominal pelvic sonographic re-examination. Demonstration of the uterus and adnexa was required. Results: Twenty-one children were diagnosed prenatally with either simple (n = 11) or complex (n = 12) ovarian cysts and treated by either conservative management (n = 13) or surgical intervention (n = 10) postnatally. The ipsilateral ovary was not detected in 8 of 11 children in whom a complex cyst had been detected on the first postnatal scan. Significantly higher rate of ovarian loss was diagnosed when the sonographic appearance of the ovarian cyst was simple on the prenatal scan and complex on the postnatal scan (six of seven) compared with when the ovarian cyst was simple on both scans (one of four, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Prenatal detection of complex ovarian cyst might indicate close monitoring in order to alert the need for early intervention for preventing impending ovarian loss. Further researches are needed to empower this study.