How to diagnose ovarian teratoma
Ovarian teratoma is a common ovarian germ cell tumor, mostly benign, but a few may become malignant. The diagnosis of ovarian teratoma requires a combination of clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, pathological examinations and other information. The following are details about the diagnosis of ovarian teratoma.
1. Clinical manifestations

The clinical manifestations of ovarian teratomas are diverse, and some patients may be asymptomatic and only discovered during physical examination. Common symptoms include:
| Symptoms | Description |
|---|---|
| abdominal pain or bloating | Tumors can cause pain when they grow or twist |
| Abnormal menstruation | Such as irregular menstruation or amenorrhea |
| symptoms of oppression | Such as frequent urination, constipation, etc. |
| abdominal mass | Some patients may have a palpable abdominal mass |
2. Imaging examination
Imaging examination is an important means to diagnose ovarian teratoma. Commonly used examination methods include:
| Check method | Features |
|---|---|
| Ultrasound examination | Preferred method to visualize tumor size, morphology, and internal structure |
| CT examination | Can clearly display tumor calcification, fat and other components |
| MRI examination | High resolution of soft tissue, helpful in distinguishing benign and malignant |
3. Laboratory examination
Although laboratory tests cannot directly confirm the diagnosis of teratoma, they are helpful in evaluating the condition and differential diagnosis:
| Check items | meaning |
|---|---|
| tumor markers | Such as AFP, HCG, CA125, etc. Abnormally elevated levels may indicate malignancy |
| hormone levels | Some teratomas can secrete hormones, causing abnormal levels |
4. Pathological examination
Pathological examination is the gold standard for diagnosing ovarian teratoma. Pathological analysis is usually performed after surgical removal of the tumor:
| Check method | Description |
|---|---|
| Intraoperative frozen section | Quickly and initially determine the nature of the tumor |
| Postoperative paraffin section | Final diagnosis, clear tumor type and benign and malignant |
5. Differential diagnosis
Ovarian teratomas need to be differentiated from other ovarian tumors or pelvic diseases. Common diseases that need to be differentiated include:
| disease | Key points for identification |
|---|---|
| ovarian cyst | Mostly single room, no calcification or fat content |
| ovarian cancer | Elevated tumor markers and complex imaging findings |
| endometriosis | Dysmenorrhea is common, with different imaging findings |
6. Treatment and prognosis
The main treatment for ovarian teratoma is surgery, and the prognosis is usually good:
| Treatment | Applicable situations |
|---|---|
| laparoscopic surgery | Suitable for benign teratomas, with small trauma and quick recovery |
| laparotomy | Suitable for patients with large tumors or suspected malignant transformation |
| Chemotherapy | Postoperative adjuvant treatment of malignant teratoma |
Summary
The diagnosis of ovarian teratoma requires a combination of clinical manifestations, imaging examinations and pathological examinations. Ultrasonography is the method of choice and pathological examination is the gold standard. Early detection and treatment have a good prognosis, so regular gynecological examinations are very important. If you have relevant symptoms, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time.
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