Pregnant patients have an increased risk of torsion compared to that seen in nonpregnant patients, and those with larger cysts undergo torsion more frequently, which can cause obstructions during labor. The risks associated with emergent surgery are higher than those with elective surgery. Laparoscopic surgery can be safely performed during pregnancy. Single-port laparoscopic surgery is reported to be a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique. We report three cases of ovarian dermoid cysts, which were successfully removed during pregnancy through elective single-port laparoscopic surgery. In all cases, imaging showed a dermoid cyst and the cyst size was greater than 6 cm. All patients requested the surgery. The ovarian cysts were successfully removed by single-port laparoscopy without additional ports and without intra- or postoperative complications. All pregnancies progressed well and delivered vaginally at full term. The single-port laparoscopic approach is useful for removing ovarian cysts during pregnancy.
Ovarian epidermoid cyst, an extremely rare tumor occurring mostly in older females, is lined by mature stratified squamous epithelium and distinguishable from mature teratoma by the absence of skin adnexae and other tissues. In imaging, these tumors resemble solid tumors, necessitating most patients to undergo oophorectomy to verify malignancy. We herein present the case of an ovarian epidermoid cyst in a pregnant woman who underwent laparoscopic cystectomy after delivery with preserved ovarian function. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of an ovarian epidermoid cyst that was detected during pregnancy and treated with laparoscopic cystectomy. Preservation of ovarian function and application of minimally invasive surgery should be strongly considered in young patients with ovarian epidermoid cysts.
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