Long-term outcomes of ovary preserving procedure for neonatal ovarian cysts

Objective: We aim to evaluate the long-term outcomes of ovarian preserving surgery for neonatal ovarian cysts.

Method: The clinical data of neonatal ovarian cysts treated in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Our study included 22 patients, of which 21 were unilateral and 1 was bilateral. There were 13 cases of simple cysts and 9 cases of complex cysts, and one cyst changed from simple to complex. The mean largest diameter of simple cysts was 5.7±2.1cm, and that of complex cysts was 4.6±2.0cm. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.2264). Among the 22 patients, 21 underwent laparoscopic cystectomy. The only patient with bilateral cysts underwent percutaneous drainage of the right simple cyst. Twenty-one histological specimens were reviewed, of which 18(85.7%) contained viable ovarian tissues. Five cases lost follow-up after surgery, and the remaining 17 cases had a follow-up period of 6 months to 5 years. The last ultrasound follow-up showed that 9 cases had bilateral normal ovaries, and 8 cases lost the ipsilateral ovary. The ovarian preservation rate of simple cyst was 90% (9/10), which was significantly higher than that of complex cyst (12.5%, 1/8) (P=0.003).

Conclusions: Simple cysts (≥ 4cm) had an excellent prognosis, with a long-term ovarian preservation rate of 90%. The long-term ovarian preservation rate of complex cysts after surgery was relatively low. Our study suggested that surgical treatment did not increase the chances of preserving the ovaries of patients with complex cysts.