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Objective

To determine the clinical outcomes and risk factors for persistence of ovarian cysts in pregnant women. With the increased use of ultrasound in pregnancy, the identification of incidental ovarian masses is becoming more common.

Study design

An observational study of women with ovarian masses identified before 24 weeks of pregnancy was performed. Only women who underwent follow-up imaging or surgery were included. Factors associated with persistence and outcomes of women who underwent surgery were analyzed.

Results

Of the 803 women with available follow-up, the cysts resolved in 707 (88.1%) patients. Fifty (6.2%) women underwent surgical intervention. Women with persistent cysts were younger, more often Hispanic, detected at a later gestational age, had larger cysts, and more often had complex or solid components (p< 0.05 for all). Overall, 1 (0.1%) malignancy was diagnosed (a patient with a B-cell lymphoma), while 3 (0.4%) women had borderline epithelial ovarian tumors.

Conclusion

Ovarian masses identified during pregnancy have a low risk of malignancy. The majority of women can be serially monitored without intervention.