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Review
. 2021 Sep 18;10(18):4233.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10184233.

Serous Borderline Ovarian Tumor Diagnosis, Management and Fertility Preservation in Young Women

Marie Carbonnel  1 , Laetitia Layoun  1 , Marine Poulain  1 , Morgan Tourne  2 , Rouba Murtada  1 , Michael Grynberg  3 , Anis Feki  4 , Jean Marc Ayoubi  1
Affiliations
Review

Serous Borderline Ovarian Tumor Diagnosis, Management and Fertility Preservation in Young Women

Marie Carbonnel et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) represent about 10 to 20 percent of all epithelial tumors of the ovary. They constitute intermediate lesions between benign ovarian cysts and invasive carcinomas. They often occur in young women of reproductive age, and, albeit with a favorable prognosis, it may recur on the ipsilateral or contralateral ovary. Controversies surround the diagnostic criteria used for their assessment, and the optimal management to minimize their risk of recurrence and/or transformation into malignant carcinoma. Fertility preservation (FP) is considered a priority in the management of these patients, and studies aim at finding the safest and most effective way to help women with BOT history conceive with minimal risk. We present the experience of a single institution in managing three cases of serous BOT in young nulliparous women, followed by a thorough review of the existing literature, highlighting controversies and exploring the possible FP techniques for these women.

Keywords: borderline ovarian tumor; conservative surgery; diagnosis; fertility preservation; recurrence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI sequences. (a). Case 1: Axial T2-weighed MRI sequence. (b). Case 2: Sagittal T2-weighed MRI sequence. (c). Case 3: Coronary T2-weighed MRI sequence. Arrows pointing at suspicious ovarian cysts.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photograph of a 3 cm recurrence of serous BOT resected after small laparotomy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photomicrography showing histopathologic confirmation of a serous BOT using Hematoxylin and Eosin on FFPE samples (X25.5) in case 3. (a). Arrows show Focal areas of micropapillary pattern (b). 1. Endophytic and 2. Exophytic vegetations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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