Ovarian Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ovarian Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Unusual fast-growing ovarian cystic teratoma during pregnancy presenting with intracystic fat "floating balls" appearance.

Donnadieu AC, Deffieux X, Le Ray C, Mordefroid M, Frydman R, Fernandez H

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Antoine Beclere Hospital, Clamart, France.

A large ovarian cyst was diagnosed at 22 weeks' of gestation in a 32-year-old woman. The ultrasonographic appearance of the ovarian cyst was unusual with multiple mobile, spherical echogenic structures floating in the cystic mass, called intracystic "fat balls." Right adnexectomy was performed by laparotomy at 28 weeks' of gestation, because of rapid growth and overall size exceeding 20 cm. Pathological examination confirmed ovarian cystic teratoma. Usually, dermoid cysts are slow-growing, even in premenopausal women. The exact mechanism related to the fast growth during pregnancy is unknown. It could be related to an unusual pattern of estrogen (E)/P receptors expression in the cystic teratoma. This case shows that a fast-growing, mature ovarian cystic teratoma may occur during pregnancy.

Published 27 November 2006 in Fertil Steril, 86(6): 1758-9.
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