A clinico-pathological review of benign cystic teratoma of the ovary

Benign cystic teratoma of the ovary has a varied incidence, varying from 30 to 50 per cent of all benign ovarian tumours. This tumour tends to occur in the reproductive age group (20 to 40 years), and the majority of patients are married with children. About 40 per cent of patients are symptomless. Of those with symptoms, abdominal pain and mass are the commonest. Torsion is the most frequent complication encountered, and the presence of acute pain should make one suspect this complication. The tumour is bilateral in 10 to 20 per cent of patients. This high bilateral occurrence places a responsibility on the gynaecologist to inspect the opposite ovary in all cases of unilateral dermoid cyst of the ovary at the time of laparotomy. Germ·layer derivatives are predominantly ectodermal in origin, although both mesodermal and entodermal derivatives occur frequently.