Cystic uterine tumors

Background/Aims: The differential diagnosis of cystic uterine tumors includes fibroids showing cystic degeneration, cystic adenomyomas, congenital cysts, and developmental anomalies. Methods: The incidence, clinical presentation and accuracy in preoperative diagnosis of cystic uterine tumors were studied in a university hospital population over a 6-year period. Results: 29 cases were included. Of these, 8 corresponded to the diagnosis of a non-fibroid uterine cystic enlargement, and 21 to that of a fibroid with cystic degeneration. Age and parity were significantly lower in patients with non-fibroid cysts. Rates of symptomatic women (60 vs. 55.6%) were similar in both groups. The preoperative diagnosis was accurate in 20/21 (95.2%) cases with a degenerated leiomyoma. On the contrary, in 6/8 (75%) cases with a nonfibroid cystic swelling an erroneous diagnosis of an adnexal or an extrauterine mass was made preoperatively. In this group, histology of the tumor showed a cystic adenomyoma in 3, a congenital cyst in 3, and a blind rudimentary uterine horn in 2 cases, respectively. Conclusion: Uterine cystic tumors are uncommon. Frequently, non-fibroid swellings are erroneously diagnosed as adnexal enlargements and their true origin only becomes evident during surgery. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.