Ultrasonographic findings of struma ovarii in post-menopausal women and a literature review / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To examine the ultrasonographic and clinical features of post-menopausal struma ovarii(PMOS).Methods:Clinical presentations and transvaginal sonography(TVS)data of 7 PMOS patients diagnosed during surgery were retrospectively analyzed and compared with histopathological results.Results:The ages of 7 patients ranged from 52 to 77 years(60.1±8.0 years, median age 59 years, natural menopause age 49.9±1.8 years). Ultrasound imaging data showed all adnexal masses were unilateral(1 on the left side, 6 on the right side). The focal lesions were irregular, round or elliptic in shape, measuring 2.8-9.5 cm, with either clear or unclear margins.Two PMSO cases were diagnose as teratoma on ultrasound, showing mixed echogenic patterns, with echoless interior regions and poor sound transmission.Color doppler flow imaging found no blood flow signal inside and around the mixed echogenic areas.Five cases were misdiagnosed on ultrasound, with 2 as postmenopausal ovarian endometrial cyst and 3 as ovarian cystadenocarcinoma.All patients recovered well after surgery.By the end of the follow-up, no recurrence of struma ovarii was found in the 7 cases.Conclusions:PMSO is a rare monodermal teratoma, can be easily misdiagnosed and needs to be differentiated from postmenopausal ovarian endometrial cyst, mature teratoma, ovarian cystadenocarcinoma and other types of lesions.A mass >5 cm may exhibit characteristic ultrasonographic manifestations, including protruding thyroid nodules, cyst wall calcification, etc.A solid portion of the cystic mass with blood flow may suggest a diagnosis of struma ovarii.