A comparison of histopathologic findings of ovarian tissue inadvertently excised with endometrioma and other kinds of benign ovarian cyst in patients undergoing laparoscopy versus laparotomy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ovarian tissue inadvertently excised with benign cysts during laparotomy or laparoscopy. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Private and university hospitals. PATIENT(S): 260 women, 20 to 35 years old, with unilateral benign ovarian cysts. INTERVENTION(S): One hundred fifty women operated by laparoscopic cystectomy stripping technique, and 110 women operated by laparotomy with the same technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Histopathologic findings of ovarian tissue inadvertently excised in endometrioma compared with other kinds of benign cysts in laparoscopy versus laparotomy. RESULT(S): In the laparoscopy group, ovarian tissue was present in 65% of endometrioma and in 32% of nonendometriotic cysts. In the laparotomy group, ovarian tissue was seen in 80% of endometrioma and 41% of nonendometriotic cysts. CONCLUSION(S): The surgical approach had no statistically significant impact on conservation of ovarian reserves. The nature of the ovarian cyst played a greater role in the quality and quantity of the excised ovarian tissue.