Adnexal mass

An adnexal mass is a lump in the tissue of the adnexa of the uterus. Adnexal masses can be benign or malignant, and they can be categorized as simple or complex.

Causes

In premenopausal women, adnexal masses include ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancies, benign or malignant tumors, endometriomas, polycystic ovaries, and tubo-ovarian abscess. The most common causes for adnexal masses in premenopausal women include follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts. Abscesses can form as a complication of pelvic inflammatory disease.
In postmenopausal women, adnexal masses may be caused by cancer, fibroids, fibromas, or diverticular abscesses.

Diagnosis

One of the most important factors used to determine the clinical suspicion of malignancy of an adnexal mass is the sonographic appearance of the mass. Indications that the mass is at a higher risk of being malignant include the presence of loculations, nodules, papillary structures, septations, or a size greater than 10 cm.

Treatment

Removal of an adnexal mass is sometimes referred to as "adnexectomy".