What Is an Ovarian Teratoma?
What is an ovarian teratoma, and what symptoms should you pay attention to?
Ovarian Teratoma: Can a Tumor Really Contain Hair and Teeth?
A while ago, a 22-year-old woman came to the clinic.
As soon as she entered the consultation room, she frowned and said:
“Dr. Li, I suddenly had lower abdominal pain today that was so severe I couldn’t stand up.”
At first, she had only felt occasional dull pain, so she did not pay much attention to it.
But this time, the pain was extremely severe.
An ultrasound examination showed a tumor of about 7 cm on the ovary. The image also showed typical features of fat and calcification.
At this point, the diagnosis was clear:
Ovarian teratoma, also known as a dermoid cyst.
There was also a strong suspicion that ovarian torsion had already occurred.
Emergency minimally invasive surgery was later arranged to remove the tumor while preserving the ovary.
The surgery went smoothly, and ovarian function was preserved.
Many patients are very surprised when they see the tumor itself.
That is because it may really contain:
• Hair
• Sebum
• Even teeth
This is what a “teratoma” is.
In fact, ovarian teratoma is one of the most common ovarian tumors seen in gynecology.
However, many people are shocked the first time they hear about it.
Why can hair and teeth appear inside a tumor?
And why do some people suddenly experience pain so severe that they need emergency care?
We’ll share more in the next post.
Yun-I wishes your dreams come true!
