Laparoscopic management of a large ovarian cyst in an adolescent. A case report

BACKGROUND: The safety of laparoscopic management of benign ovarian cysts has been demonstrated. The size of the benign ovarian cyst continues to be a limiting factor for laparoscopic surgery, with most surgeons choosing laparotomy for large cysts. CASE: A 15-year-old woman had a 22-cm, benign ovarian cyst extending above the umbilicus that was managed successfully with laparoscopy. We performed prelaparoscopy cyst drainage with a suprapubic Bonanno catheter (Becton Dickinson, Rutherford, New Jersey) followed by laparoscopic cystectomy. Because of its coiled end, the Bonanno catheter is less likely to result in cyst leakage around the aspiration site. CONCLUSION: With proper patient selection, laparoscopic surgery can be safely applied in a select group of patients with large, benign ovarian cysts.