Abstract
Background: Laparoscopic conservative surgery has become popular for the treatment of benign ovarian cystic tumors. The risk of recurrence is higher after conservative surgery; however, malignant recurrence is rare. We report a case of recurrence in the form of an invasive ovarian carcinoma after laparoscopically-assisted ovarian cystectomy for a mucinous cystic tumor of borderline malignancy.
Case presentation: A 34-year-old nulliparous patient underwent a laparoscopically-assisted ovarian cystectomy. The histological examination revealed a mucinous cystic tumor of borderline malignancy. No additional treatments were performed. Twenty-one months later, she relapsed with a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. She underwent radical surgery (supracervical hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, partial omentectomy, appendectomy, and pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy) and platinum-based chemotherapy.
Conclusion: Malignant recurrence may occur in the same ovary after cystectomy in cases of mucinous cystic tumor of borderline malignancy. If a mucinous cystic tumor of borderline malignancy is revealed after laparoscopic conservative surgery, the patient should be treated by unilateral salpino-oophorectomy at least and receive strict follow-up.
