Adnexal masses in children and adolescents

Adnexal masses in children encompass a variety of lesions of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, including ovarian cysts and tumors (benign or malignant), fallopian tube cysts and abscesses, paratubal cysts, and endometriomas. When developing a differential diagnosis for adnexal masses in childhood, the clinician must have a broad understanding of adnexal pathology and consider the patient's age, presenting complaints, physical examination findings, and imaging results to generate a list of possible diagnoses and the appropriate treatment plan. We review the clinical presentation of these lesions and discuss the current recommendations for their management.