What Is A Giant Mucinous Cystadenoma?
As a rule, a huge mucinous cystadenoma has no symptoms other than an increase in the size of the abdomen. In many cases it is mistaken for pregnancy.
A giant mucinous cystadenoma is a mostly benign tumor that occurs primarily in adult women, often middle-aged. It is very rare in young girls or teenagers.
15 to 25% of ovarian tumors are huge mucinous cystadenomas. Its main characteristic is the enormous size that it can grow to. That also explains the name: huge.
Experts estimate that around 85% of these tumors are benign. 6% are considered borderline or with some malignant potential and 9% are invasive. Other estimates suggest that 75% are benign and the remaining 25% are malignant.
As a rule, the benign type of giant mucinous cystadenoma develops around the age of 20 to 50 years. Malignant tumors usually appear after the age of 50. Because of their size, they are often mistaken for pregnancy.
What is giant mucinous cystadenoma?
The giant mucinous cystadenoma is defined as a neoplastic lesion. That is, as an indiscriminate cellular proliferation of a tissue invading adjacent tissues. In this case it starts from the epithelial cells of the ovary.
It arises from a metaplasia or transformation of the epithelium of the cells from the layer covering the ovary, i.e. the mesothelium of the ovary. Because of its properties, it has the potential to grow to enormous sizes.
Some giant mucinous cystadenomas contain intestinal-type epithelial tissue. If so, they are more likely to be cancerous and eventually develop into ovarian cancer. Currently, one in 70 women will develop this type of cancer at some point in their lives.
Main features of a giant mucinous cystadenoma
A huge mucinous cystadenoma is characterized by the appearance of several glands and cysts on the ovary. These have a diameter of 10 to 15 cm and are covered by epithelial cells with abundant mucin. This substance is the main component of mucous and salivary secretions.
The most important characteristic of this type of tumor is its potential to grow very large. In 1982, medical records documented a giant mucinous cystadenoma that weighed 87.7 kilograms, making it the largest in 50 years. A mucinous cystadenoma is considered huge if it weighs more than 12 kg.
This type of ovarian tumor is round in shape, blue in color, and has a smooth texture. Some of them have a transparent exterior and have internal partitions. These consist of a viscous and clear liquid.
It should be noted that the ovaries never lose the opportunity to form tumors. Because of this, they can appear in women of all ages. Ovarian tumors are among the most common tumors in women and are dangerous because they are undetectable in the early stages.
Giant Mucinous Cystadenoma: Clinical Symptoms
The most common clinical symptom is an increase in the size of the waist. This is accompanied by an intra-abdominal mass that can be felt. Pain or other symptoms are rare, even on physical examination.
In some cases, the overgrowth of the tumor results in torsion, bleeding, or rupture. The result is symptoms of abdominal distension with pressing pain in the hypogastrium and other gastrointestinal and urinary symptoms.
Imaging examinations are necessary to confirm the diagnosis and to determine whether the tumor is malignant or benign. Usually, specialists do an ultrasound scan and computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen. Ultrasound examinations usually offer a great deal of certainty in the diagnosis.
If doctors suspect a malignant cyst but imaging tests cannot confirm it, an exploratory laparotomy must be performed. If the tumor is symptomatic, it must be examined by a specialist as soon as possible.
Giant Mucinous Cystadenoma: Other Useful Information
Clinical data show that ovarian tumors are most common in women between the ages of 35 and 65. In this phase of life the climacteric takes place – a phase in which the reproductive function changes several times.
Although some tumors are hormonally active, the vast majority only cause mild symptoms until they reach a certain size. The benign forms in particular tend to be asymptomatic and are mostly discovered by chance.
The best treatment for a giant mucinous cystadenoma in older women is bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the ovary and fallopian tube) followed by a hysterectomy. If the patient is a young woman, a treatment method is always chosen that preserves fertility. In general, the prognosis after surgery is very positive.
