Pelvic Mass and pathology ovarian tumours Flashcards
What are the non-gynae causes for pelvic mass?
- Bowel
- Bladder/uro
- other
Bowel ω Constipation! ω Caecal carcinoma ω Appendix abscess ω Diverticular abscess
Bladder/Urological.
ω Urinary retention
ω (pelvic kidney)
Other
ω e.g. retroperitoneal tumour.
What are the gynae causes for pelvic mass?
Uterine: body
- Pregnancy
- fibroids (most common)
- endometrial cancer (although usually presents early as PMB)
Uterine: cervix
-also presents late
Tubal (& para-tubal)
Ovarian
What are uterine fibroids?
¥ Leiomyomas - benign smooth muscle tumours
-usually few cm but may be much bigger
Fibroids:
- are they common?
- what is the presentation?
Very common, esp >40yrs
May be asymptomatic/ incidental finding
or
¥ Menhorrhagia
¥ Pelvic mass
¥ Pain/tenderness
-Only disproportionate if ‘red degeneration’ eg. Pregnancy, Menopause
(this is haemorrhage into tumour)
¥ ‘Pressure’ symptoms
What investigations are carried out for fibroids?
¥ Hb if heavy bleeding
¥ Transvaginal Ultrasound usually diagnostic.
ω smooth echogenic mass often multiple.
MRI for more precise localisation
What is the treatment for uterine fibroids?
symptomatic management with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is recommended by CKS first-line
other options include tranexamic acid, combined oral contraceptive pill etc
GnRH agonists may reduce the size of the fibroid but are typically useful for short-term treatment
surgery is sometimes needed: myomectomy, hysterscopic endometrial ablation, hysterectomy, uterine artery embolization
What tubal masses exist?
¥ Ectopic pregnancy
ω Emergency +IPT/empty uterus/pain/bleeding
ω May detect adnexal mass on USS
ω Never presents as mass you can feel – it’s too small
¥ Hydrosalpinx
ω Often longstanding/incidental
ω Collection of fluid in tubes
¥ Pyosalpinx
ω Acute/inflammatory
¥ Paratubal Cysts.
ω Usually small & incidental (embryological remnants)
What ovarian masses can arise?
Cysts:
- functional cysts
- endometriotic cysts
Tumours/neoplasm:
- benign
- malignant
What is a functional cyst?
- are they large?
- how are they treated?
- what can they causes clinically?
Common cyst where ovulation doesn’t occur and follicle doesn’t rupture
ω Follicular cysts
ω Luteal cysts.
¥ Rarely >5cm diameter
¥ Usually resolve spontaneously
¥ Expectant management appropriate.
¥ May be menstrual disturbance
¥ May bleed or rupture and cause pain.
¥ Often asymptomatic/incidental finding.
What is endometriosis?
-what sites does this occur in?
¥ Endometriosis = endometrium in wrong place (ovaries/POD/other)
Sites – Ovary (‘chocolate’ cyst- blood filled cyst on the ovary which is a tender mass with nodularity and tenderness behind uterus) – Pouch of Douglas – Peritoneal surfaces, including uterus – Cervix, vulva, vagina – Bladder, bowel etc
fixed, retroverted uterus
What clinical symptoms are found with endometriosis?
Often asymptomatic until a large choc. cyst develops and ruptures.
- chronic pelvic pain
- dysmenorrhoea - pain often starts days before bleeding
- deep dyspareunia
- subfertility
Less common features
- urinary symptoms e.g. dysuria, urgency
- dyschezia (painful bowel movements)
What is the pathogenesis and what is seen on pathology for endometriosis?
Pathogenesis
- Regurgitation
- Metaplasia
- Vascular or lymphatic dissemination
Macroscopic
- Peritoneal spots or nodules
- Fibrous adhesions: from scarring after inflammation
- Chocolate cysts
Microscopic
- Endometrial glands and stroma
- Haemorrhage, inflammation, fibrosis
What is the gold standard investigation for endometriosis?
laparoscopy is the gold-standard investigation
there is little role for investigation in primary care (e.g. ultrasound)- if the symptoms are significant the patient should be referred for a definitive diagnosis
What is the management of endometriosis?
- drug
- surgical
NSAIDs and other analgesia for symptomatic relief
combined oral contraceptive pill progestogens e.g. medroxyprogesterone acetate
gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues - said to induce a ‘pseudomenopause’ due to the low oestrogen levels
intrauterine system (Mirena)
drug therapy unfortunately does not seem to have a significant impact on fertility rates
Surgery:
-some treatments such as laparoscopic excision and laser treatment of endometriotic ovarian cysts may improve fertility
What are the complications of endometriosis?
- Pain
- Cyst formation
- Adhesions
- Infertility
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Malignancy (endometrioid carcinoma)