TITLE:
Ovarian torsion—A course for severe abdominal pain in children
AUTHORS:
Maria Kirstine Braendholt Wessel Mantoni, Ulrik Lausten-Thomsen
KEYWORDS:
Childhood Ovarian Torsion; Mature Cystic Teratoma; Dermoid Cyst
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.3 No.4,
December
20,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Ovarian torsion is a rare,
albeit important cause of abdominal pain as it may lead to ovarian necrosis if
not resolved. Although it has been described in all ages, it is very rare in
young children. The primary symptom is abdominal pain, and due to the abundance
hereof in a pediatric setting and the significant overlap in the clinical
manifestations between ovarian torsion and more common entities such as
appendicitis, a high level of suspicion needs to be maintained. We report the
case of a young girl with a history of severe abdominal pain. A primary
hospitalization at the age of 1? years resolved quickly and spontaneously
without any imaging. At the age of 2 years
and 10 months, she was once again hospitalized for severe abdominal
pain. A CT scan shoved a large dermoid cyst and possible torsion of the ovary.
An exploratory laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis and oophorectomy was
performed. Histopathological examination of the cyst demonstrated a 5 × 5 × 6 cm mature cystic teratoma
without malignancy. This case illustrates how a high level of suspicion for
ovarian torsion needs to be maintained, even in otherwise healthy children.