What are the common diagnostic methods for ovarian tumors

Ovarian malignancy is the disease with the highest mortality rate among female gynecological diseases. Because the early symptoms are often not obvious, many patients are already in the late stage when they find it. In fact, if it can be found early, it is still possible to cure it. Although it cannot be cured, it can also prolong life. So let's take a look at how to judge ovarian malignancy.

1. Symptoms

(1) Abdominal discomfort Medium-sized benign tumors or rapidly growing malignant tumors often cause abdominal distension and discomfort.

(2) Benign abdominal masses grow slowly and are difficult to detect, so patients often touch them accidentally. Malignant tumors grow quickly and are easy to detect.

(3) Abdominal pain: Benign tumors may cause abdominal pain of varying degrees if they are complicated by torsion, rupture, bleeding, or infection. Malignant tumors may cause abdominal pain, back pain, or lower limb pain if they infiltrate the surrounding area or compress nerves.

(4) Compression symptoms: A large tumor that fills the pelvic cavity may cause compression symptoms such as frequent urination, dysuria, constipation, shortness of breath, palpitations, etc.

(5) Uterine disorders and endocrine symptoms When a tumor produces steroid hormones or destroys both ovaries, it can cause menstrual disorders or abnormal uterine bleeding.

(6) Manifestations of metastatic lesions, such as hemoptysis and dyspnea caused by lung metastasis; changes in stool, blood in stool, intestinal obstruction, etc. caused by intestinal metastasis.

2. Physical signs

Benign ovarian tumors are mostly unilateral and located next to the uterus. They are spherical, cystic or solid masses with smooth surfaces, mobility, and clear boundaries from the uterus. Malignant ovarian tumors are bilateral, solid or partially solid masses with uneven surfaces and relatively fixed masses. There may be scattered nodules in the rectouterine pouch.

3. Auxiliary examination

(1) Ultrasound examination B-ultrasound imaging can detect the location, size, shape and nature of the tumor.

(2) Radiological diagnosis: Barium meal or barium enema, air contrast radiography can be used to determine whether there is a tumor in the digestive tract. CT examination can locate and characterize pelvic tumors, and determine whether there is metastasis to the liver, lungs, and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Pelvic lymph node radiography can determine whether there is lymphatic metastasis of ovarian tumors.

(3) Laparoscopy can directly observe the origin and general condition of the tumor, as well as the entire pelvic and abdominal cavity and diaphragm, to determine the extent and stage of the lesion. It can also aspirate ascites for cytological examination or take suspicious tissue for pathological examination. However, it is contraindicated for large masses or adhesion masses.

(4) Cytological examination: Cytological examination of ascites obtained by abdominal or posterior fornix puncture is helpful in the diagnosis of ovarian malignant tumors.

(5) Tumor marker examination: The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration is high in patients with embryonal carcinoma and endodermal sinus carcinoma. AFP greater than 20 μg/L is considered positive.

(6) Enlarged ovaries found during laparotomy before puberty, and ovaries that can still be palpated after menopause; ovarian cystic tumors in women of childbearing age with a diameter greater than 6 cm that do not shrink or increase in size after 3 to 6 months of observation; solid tumors with a diameter greater than 4 cm; ovarian masses found in early pregnancy that do not shrink after 4 months of pregnancy are all indications for laparotomy.

Through the above introduction to the diagnosis of ovarian malignant tumors, I hope that readers can understand it more or less. The editor also hopes that the majority of female friends can take measures to prevent ovarian malignant tumors and avoid the occurrence of the disease. Once it occurs, I also hope that patients will actively cooperate with treatment and maintain an optimistic attitude to face every day.