Ovaian masses in perinatal, pediatric and adolescent age: myths and facts

Key words: Ovarian cysts, Ovarian masses, Ovarian neoplasms, Ovarian tumours, Ovarian torsions

Ovarian masses are a relatively frequent finding either in perinatal or in paediatric and adolescent ages and are not always easy to interpret and manage. The same rules and protocols used in adult patients are generally adopted in the clinical approach to these formations, however during the first years of life this policy presents an elevated risk of useless alarmism and dangerous underestimations of possible complications or differential diagnoses. The aim of this paper is to review what are the myths and facts in the clinical pathway of this pathology according to the most recent literature