OBJECTIVE: To analyze cases of ovarian leiomyomas and to discuss the proper surgical management. DESIGN: A case series and discussion. SETTING: General university hospital and healthcare center. PATIENT(S): Nine patients who were diagnosed with ovarian leiomyomas after surgery between 1993 and 2009. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A preoperative diagnosis that was matched to the postoperative diagnosis and the type of surgery. RESULT(S): In all cases, ovarian leiomyoma was misdiagnosed preoperatively as pedunculated uterine myoma, ovarian fibroma, or even ovarian endometrioma. Seven (77.8%) of the nine patients underwent a salpingo-oophorectomy or an oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy, and only two (22.2%) patients were submitted to an ovary-preserving surgery (i.e., a cystectomy or ovarian wedge resection). CONCLUSION(S): Because of their extreme rarity, ovarian leiomyomas are seldom suspected intraoperatively or preoperatively. However, most of these tumors appear at reproductive age and have a benign nature, similar to uterine myomas. Therefore, surgeons should perform ovary-preserving management, especially in young patients.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze cases of ovarian leiomyomas and to discuss the proper surgical management. DESIGN: A case series and discussion. SETTING: General university hospital and healthcare center. PATIENT(S): Nine patients who were diagnosed with ovarian leiomyomas after surgery between 1993 and 2009. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A preoperative diagnosis that was matched to the postoperative diagnosis and the type of surgery. RESULT(S): In all cases, ovarian leiomyoma was misdiagnosed preoperatively as pedunculated uterine myoma, ovarian fibroma, or even ovarian endometrioma. Seven (77.8%) of the nine patients underwent a salpingo-oophorectomy or an oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy, and only two (22.2%) patients were submitted to an ovary-preserving surgery (i.e., a cystectomy or ovarian wedge resection). CONCLUSION(S): Because of their extreme rarity, ovarian leiomyomas are seldom suspected intraoperatively or preoperatively. However, most of these tumors appear at reproductive age and have a benign nature, similar to uterine myomas. Therefore, surgeons should perform ovary-preserving management, especially in young patients.