Adnexal Masses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The common adnexal masses include lesions of infectious or occlusive origin such as hydrosalpinx and tubo-ovarian abscess (either primary pelvic cause or secondary to gastrointestinal disease), functional cysts and endometriomas, and benign or malignant neoplasms. From a practical standpoint, the colorectal surgeon is most likely to encounter these masses unexpectedly at the time of surgery for gastrointestinal disease and will be faced with intraoperative management. Fortunately, approximately 15 entities account for 98.5% of all neoplastic (benign, borderline, and malignant) masses found at the time of surgery or workup of abdominal or colorectal disease.