Background: The authors' experience of using laparoscopy in the management
of 23 girls (mean age: 8.9 years; range: 3 months-15 years) with various ad
nexal pathologies over a 3-year period is reviewed.
Methods: Of the 23 patients, seven were evaluated for congenital gonadal pa
thologies, 15 presented with abdominal pain and one patient had an antenata
lly diagnosed adnexal mass. Detailed laparoscopic examination of the pelvic
cavity and laparoscopic gonadectomy were successfully performed in all sev
en patients with congenital gonadal pathologies: mosaic Turner's syndrome (
n = 2), gonadal dysgenesis (n = 3) and testicular feminization syndrome (n
= 2). Of 15 patients presenting with abdominal pain, 11 had an adnexal mass
, two had acute appendicitis and two had pelvic inflammatory disease.
Results: Laparoscopic excision of the adnexal masses were successfully perf
ormed in 10 of 11 patients. Conversion to open surgery was required in one
patient with a huge teratoma. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was successfully
performed in both patients with acute appendicitis while diagnostic laparos
copy was the only procedure required in the two patients with pelvic inflam
matory disease. Laparoscopy in the infant with an antenatally diagnosed adn
exal mass confirmed this to be an omental cyst, which was successfully exci
sed. All patients recovered without complications and good cosmetic result
was universally achieved.
Conclusion: Laparoscopy is safe and effective in both diagnosis and treatme
nt of adnexal pathologies in children.