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Pelvic masses/Tubo ovarian masses

Pelvic masses/Tubo ovarian masses:

Tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) is a serious complication of acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which most commonly results from the spread of bacteria from the lower genital tract. It is a polymicrobial infection typically occurring in young sexually active women

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Fibroids range in size from seedlings, undetectable by the human eye, to bulky masses that can distort and enlarge the uterus. You can have a single fibroid or multiple ones. In extreme cases, multiple fibroids can expand the uterus so much that it reaches the rib cage and can add weight. Many women have uterine fibroids sometime during their lives. But you might not know you have uterine fibroids because they often cause no symptoms. Your doctor may discover fibroids incidentally during a pelvic exam or prenatal ultrasound


Type of mass in the female reproductive tract tends to vary by age group:

• In infants, in utero maternal hormones may stimulate development of follicular ovarian cysts in a fetus or during the first few months of life. This effect is rare.
• In children, prepubertalmasses are uncommon. Ovarian masses may be follicular ovarian cysts or, rarely, benign or malignant tumors.
• In women of reproductive age, the most common cause of symmetric uterine enlargement is pregnancy. Another common uterine mass is a uterine fibroid, which sometimes extends to the cervix or uterine connective tissues. Adnexal masses are often related to the menstrual cycle; they include follicular ovarian cysts (follicles that develop normally but do not release an egg) and corpus luteal cysts. These cysts often resolve spontaneously within a few months. Adnexal masses may also result from ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, benign tumors (eg, benign cystic teratomas), endometriosis, hydrosalpinges, or a tubo-ovarian abscess.
• In postmenopausal women, a new or growing pelvic mass is more likely to be cancerous. Many benign ovarian or uterine masses (eg, endometriomas, adenomas, fibroids) depend on ovarian hormone secretion and thus do not develop or enlarge after menopause. Metastatic cancer of the breast, colon, or stomach may first manifest as an adnexal mass.