PARATUBAL CYSTS IN YOUNG FEMALES AS AN INCIDENTAL FINDING IN LAPAROTOMIES PERFORMED FOR RIGHT LOWER QUADRANT ABDOMINAL-PAIN

Paratubal cysts represent remnants of the paramesonephric or mesonephr ic duct, the former being more common. Most of them are asymptomatic, but they may rarely give rise to clinical problems due to enlargement or torsion. In this study, we looked for paratubal cysts or other path ological lesions of the right uterine adnexa in young females operated upon for right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain. Our material cons isted of 338 white female patients aged 4-14 years. Laparotomy reveale d only acute appendicitis in 283 cases, while 44 had acute appendiciti s plus a coincidental paratubal cyst. Most of these cysts were smaller than 1 cm in diameter. However, 2 additional cases had torsion of a l arge paratubal cyst, while 5 had a ruptured corpus luteum. We suggest that a thorough search of the right adnexa for the presence of paratub al cysts during laparotomies performed for RLQ pain is a useful proced ure. This approach also allows detection of other pathological lesions of the right adnexa that often produce symptoms similar to acute appe ndicitis.