RESUMEN
To determine the frequency and pattern of ovarian tumours in different age groups in a unit of a tertiary level hospital. Retrospective study. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology [Unit-II] Liaquat University Hospital [LUH], Hyderabad, Sindh from January 2001 to December 2007. All cases of ovarian tumours with confirmed diagnosis on histopathological examination, managed in gynecological unit II from January 2001 to December 2007 were included in study. Medical case records and histopathological reports were reviewed. The patients with ovarian tumours were divided into three groups on bases of age at time of presentation. Data analysis included were frequency and percentage of histopathological pattern of ovarian tumours in different age groups. Over the study period of 7 years, the total gyneacological admissions in gynecological unit II were 17550, and 813 biopsies were studied in patients who presented with ovarian masses. Out of 813 boipsies, 602 were ovarian neoplasms on histopathological examination, giving a frequency of 3.4%. In relative frequency, 73.08% were benign, 22.75% were malignant and 4.15% were mixed ovarian tumours. Epithelial tumours were the most common type, followed by germ cell tumour and sex cord stromal tumours in all age groups. Mucinous adenocarcinoma was the most common malignant ovarian tumour, in reproductive and perimenopausal age group and germ cell tumour in very young women. Ovarian tumours can present at any age. In all age groups the most common ovarian tumours are epithelial. In younger age group the most common benign tumours are epithelial, and the most common malignant tumours are germ cell. The frequency of malignant and benign ovarian tumours was almost same in both reproductive and perimenopausal age groups, and the most common malignant tumour was mucinous adenocarcinoma.