Massive ovarian oedema: literature review and case presentation.

Massive ovarian oedema is an uncommon cause of adnexal mass, first described by Kalstone in 1969 [1–7]. Massive solid enlargement of the ovary can be associated with interstitial oedema without neoplastic changes and is considered to be the result of torsion of the ovary. This can be easily mistaken for neoplasm, in which case the appropriate treatment will be removal of the whole ovary. However, when this condition is a benign enlargement of the ovary it needs conservative intervention. The group most commonly affected are young women in the child-bearing period, but a few cases have been described in prepubertal girls. Masculinization is a common feature of many adult cases, but there has been a case with precocious puberty as the presenting symptom [8,9], and it has been described during pregnancy [10]. Geist et al. stated that massive oedema of the ovary is a rare entity affecting mainly young women [2]. It is important to recognize the condition as it is often misdiagnosed for a malignancy, putting the younger patient at risk of overtreatment with the resultant loss of hormonal function and fertility. We present the case of a 30-year-old woman with findings of massive ovarian oedema on ultrasound imaging, and a