Adnexal masses in postmenopausal and reproductive age women.

We aimed to evaluate and compare the management and clinical characteristics of adnexal masses in postmenopausal and reproductive age women. This prospective study was performed at Dicle University, School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, from January 2007 to June 2009.The data were collected from hospital records and patients files, descriptively. The cases were divided into two groups as cases with adnexal masses in postmenopausal age women (Group 1, n = 40), and reproductive age (Group 2, n = 40). All of the cases operated for benign adnexal masses. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the statistical packages for SPSS 15.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The demographic characteristics of the cases that were enrolled in our study are depicted in Table 1.The initial compliant of the cases were abdominal pain in 62 (77.5%) of the cases and 8 (20%) vaginal bleeding and 10 (12.5%) were asymptomatic. The initial diagnose of the cases were; pelvic mass in 34 (75%) of the cases, ovarian cyst 26 (32.5%), dermoid cyst 10 (12.5%), endometrioma 7 (8.75%) and postmenopausal bleeding 4 (5%). The tumor markers were evaluated. All of the cases were subjected to laparotomy or laparoscopy. The frozen section diagnose were made by the pathology department. The postoperative characteristics of the masses were also evaluated. The adnexal masses in postmenopausal woman with benign characteristics can be followed conservatively, without surgery. Surgery may be indicated to women with family history of cancer, a mass that appears enlarging and symptomatic.