OVARIAN MASSES IN WOMEN: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS IN TERTIARY CARE CENTER.

Objective: To describe the presenting signs and symptoms, clinic-pathological findings of ovarian masses and to establish diagnostic value of clinical examination, ultrasonography and its correlation with histopathological diagnosis. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Jun 2017 May 2018. Methodology: Women who underwent surgery for ovarian masses were included. Data was collected from hospital records including; age, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms, changes in menstrual cycle, and the results of the physical examination. The preliminary diagnoses as well as the final diagnosis were noted. Results: A total of 83 patients with ovarian masses, who underwent surgery over the period of a year, were included. The most common symptom was abdominal pain in 56 (67.5%) followed by abdominal distention 9 (10.8%), dysmenorrhea 8 (9.6%). When both clinical and sonological diagnosis were combined, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for diagnosis and discriminating benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms were 87.5%, 96.7%, 70%, and 98.88%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study most, common symptom was abdominal pain both in benign and malignant ovarian masses. Whereas, abdominal distention was more common in malignant masses. Preoperative diagnostic approach should always include careful history taking, physical examination, imaging and evaluation of tumor markers. Early detection, thorough treatment and regular follow-up are the need of time to reduce the morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]