Treatment of Follicular Cyst of Ovary in a Prepubertal Female Child
Clinical Scenario
This protocol addresses a prepubertal female child found to have an ovarian cyst — a presentation that often comes to attention as an asymptomatic abdominal mass causing abdominal distension, or as an incidental finding on radiographic assessment.
Treatment Approach
For asymptomatic patients in the prepubertal period, a non-interventional strategy plays a central role. The structured protocol specifies the monitoring approach, the size thresholds that guide clinical decisions, and the precise indications that prompt a change in management — all of which require review of the full evidence-based regimen.
Treatment Goal
Spontaneous resolution of cysts up to 9 cm in diameter, confirmed through structured follow-up.
References
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13070775
- In prepubertal children, ovarian cysts typically appear as an asymptomatic abdominal mass causing abdominal distension or are revealed incidentally during radiographic assessments.
- For asymptomatic patients, observation is the method of choice, but children and their parents should be counseled about the signs and symptoms of ovarian torsion so that they can seek emergency care without delay.
- In observational studies in the prepubertal period, cysts up to 9 cm in diameter usually resolve spontaneously, and indications for surgical exploration ovarian include cysts ≥ 9 cm in diameter, which are at increased risk of malignancy, ultrasound features of a tumor process (e.g., septation, increased solid tissue, calcification), ovarian torsion, and acute rupture with bleeding and hemodynamic instability.
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