Adnexal torsion presenting as an acute abdomen in a patient with bilateral cystic teratoma of the ovary.

Benign cystic teratomas are the most common ovarian neoplasms in women. Teratomas are usually benign, unilateral, and most often found in young and premenopausal women. Most are 5 cm to 10 cm in diameter when diagnosed, and on sectioning, they usually contain thick sebaceous material, tangled hair, and various dermal structures. One of the major complications seen in cystic teratoma is torsion, a partial or complete twisting of the ovarian suspensary pedicle causing severe pain, nausea, and tissue necrosis. The patient described had bilateral cystic teratomas, one uncommonly large and torsed, causing an acute abdomen. Discussion includes the diagnosis, operative management, and postoperative findings.