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Adnexal Mass: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
The word adnexa means the structures most closely related structurally or functionally to the uterus. And these adnexal structures include fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the tissues surrounding the uterus.
Adnexal mass meaning is a lump or mass in the tissues surrounding the uterus like ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the tissues around the uterus.
Dr. Dimple Doshi at Vardaan Hospital; believes prevention is better than cure, and thus apart from the precise treatment guidelines; preventive measures are an essential part of our consultations with the patients who have either had it or want to know more about it.
The word adnexa means the structures most closely related structurally or functionally to the uterus. And these adnexal structures include fallopian tubes, ovaries and the tissues surrounding the uterus.
Adnexal mass meaning is a lump or mass in the tissues surrounding the uterus like ovaries, fallopian tubes or the tissues around the uterus.
Adnexal masses are seen in younger women mostly include benign varieties while over 30% of adnexal masses in elderly and post-menopausal women are malignant. So these adnexal masses are to be evaluated and treated very fast.
Adnexal mass can be either
- Benign e. g. ectopic pregnancy, chocolate cyst, tubo ovarian or pelvic abscess, uterine fibroid extending into the adnexa.
- Malignant e.g ovarian tumor, any metastatic adnexal tumor from cancer of other abdominal organs.
Some of the common causes of adnexal masses include:
- Ectopic pregnancy: A pregnancy where the fertilized egg implants somewhere outside the uterus.
- Endometrioma: A benign cyst on the ovary that contains thick, old blood that appears brown.
- Leiomyoma: A benign gynecological tumor, also known as a fibroid.
- Ovarian cancer: These tumors of the ovary may be ovarian epithelial cancers that begin in the cells on the surface of the ovary or malignant germ cell cancers that begin in the eggs.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease: Inflammation of the upper genital tract, which includes the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It occurs due to an infection.
- Tubo-ovarian abscess: An infectious adnexal mass that forms because of pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Ovarian torsion: A gynecological emergency involving a complete or partial rotation of the tissue that supports the ovary, which cuts off blood flow to the ovary.
- Diagnosis of adnexal mass can be made by:
- Physical examination by your gynecologist
- Ultrasonography
- CT scan or MRI pelvis
- Blood tests
Symptoms of adnexal mass may be different for different people depending upon its cause.
Common symptoms are:
- Severe lower abdominal or pelvic pain that is sometime only on one side
- Abnormal bleeding pattern; including heavy nf prolonged periods.
- Feeling of fullness, bloating, constipation, indigestion, nausea, vomiting
- Urinary symptoms
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Vaginal discharge
Conservative treatment:
If the adnexal mass is small and you have no symptoms, then it may not require treatment at all. However, your gynecologist will monitor you with regular pelvic exams and ultrasounds.
Surgery will be needed if:
- The mass begins to grow
- You develop symptoms
- A cyst develops solid elements or any finding that is suggestive of cancerous nature of the mass.
Laparocopy:
Laparoscopic removal of the adnexal mass is the ideal treatment.
The advantages of laparoscopy include speedy recovery, less pain and cosmetically better appearance.
Laparotomy:
Laparotomy or opening up of the abdomen is indicated if
1. The adnexal mass is likely to be malignant
2. The patient is not fit to undergo laparoscopy
3. The adnexal mass is huge
Once removed, the adnexal mass will be sent to the lab to determine whether or not the cells contained within it are cancerous. If they are, further treatment may be required under the guidance of an onto physician.
