Ovarian Cyst Accidents Diagnosed at Laparotomy, experience from a Third-level Health Facility in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Ovarian cyst accidents affect different age groups and usually present as acute abdomen,
often requiring surgical intervention. Prompt diagnosis is necessary to maintain reproductive function
and avoid mortality.
Objectives: To determine the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical management, and histological
patterns of surgically identied ovarian cyst accidents at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital.
Methods: A retrospective review of all cases of accidented ovarian cyst at laparotomy was undertaken
over an Eight-year period. Information on the socio-demographics, symptomatology, operative ndings
and histology was extracted and collated in a pre-structured spreadsheet. Analysis of data collated was
done using IBM SPSS version 22. Results of the analysis were presented using descriptive statistics,
gures and tables. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between categorical variables
with P-value ¡Ü0.05 as signicant
Results: Ovarian cyst accidents constituted 123(6.1%) of 2,019 major Gynaecological surgeries
(2,019). The age range was 10 –70 years with a mean age of 24.6 ±0.85 years. The majority of patients
were in the age group of 21 – 30 years 64(52.0%), and Seventy patients (56.9%) were nulliparous.
Abdominal pain was the commonest presentation 105(85.4%), while torsion 105(84.6%) was the most
frequent accident. Most cases of accidents were in non-gravid patients 98(95.1%). Fifty-six (45.5%) of
ovarian cyst accidents involved the right ovary. There was no signicant relationship between age,
laterality, parity, gravidity and ovarian accidents. All accidented ovarian cysts were histologically
benign.
Conclusion: Accidented ovarian cysts were benign on histology and commonly seen in nulliparous
women in their reproductive age group. Torsion is predominant; thus prompt intervention is essential
to conserve fertility and hormonal milieu.
Keywords: Ovary, Cyst, Accident, Port Harcourt