Epidemiology and Characteristics of Extra-ovarian Conditions Mimicking Ovarian Cancer: A 4-Year Assay Among Iranian Women

Introduction: Involving approximately 4% of malignancies in women, ovarian cancer remains one of the most fatal cancers. However, it is important to consider conditions which are not primary ovarian diseases, but mimic their behaviors. In the present study, the epidemiological characteristics of extra-ovarian conditions mimicking ovarian masses are evaluated. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with a primary diagnosis of ovarian mass who underwent surgery by gynecologists between January 2012 and March 2016. The surgeon’s primary diagnosis and the final histopathology assessment report were evaluated for each patient. In cases where the final histopathology report was not in the spectrum of gynecologic pathology, possible reasons for incompatibility were investigated. Results: Ultimately, 1876 patients with a mean age of 48.26±15.4 years underwent analysis. Among these patients, 27 (1.4%) had masses of a non-gynecologic origin. The final diagnoses were divided into four main categories: masses with a gastrointestinal origin (55.5%), infectious (18.5%), those with a retroperitoneal origin (18.5%), and embryologic-origin masses (7.4%). Conclusion: The results suggest that extra-ovarian diseases should be considered in differential diagnoses of patients with a primary diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, it was found that metastases from gastrointestinal tract tumors and infectious diseases are the most common pathologies among extra-ovarian conditions.