Ovarian tumors of childhood and adolescence constitute the most frequent and special group of gynaecologic tumors due to clinical and histopathological peculiarities and age specific therapeutic implications related to physically, hormonally and immunologically immature host. Pathologic features of ovarian tumors of children and adolescents diagnosed in our department in ten-year period, constitute the perspective of this report. Macroscopical, microscopical, immunohistochemical, and cytopathological features of ovarian tumors under 21-years-of age, and diagnosed in 1997-2006 are re-evaluated.

Fourty-two cases (9.7%) belong to the young patients among 391 primary ovarian tumors diagnosed in tenyears. Germ-cell tumors were the most frequent (54.8%) while epithelial tumors were 38.1% and sexcord- stromal tumors was 7.1%. Malignancy rate was 28.6% among all subtypes while epithelial malignancy were 4.8%. Malignancy under 16 years was 31.3% while it was 26.9% in adolescence. Epithelial tumors in childhood was 18.8% while it was 50% over 16 years; the difference was significant (p=0.043). In our series, 60.9% of germ cell tumors were mature cystic teratomas. Malignancy rate within this group was 39.1%. There were four pure dysgerminomas, three mixed germ cell tumors and two immature teratomas within the malignant germ cell tumors. The mean tumor diameter was 92.1 mm. in benign tumors while it was 172.9 mm. in malignant tumors, and the difference was significant (p=0.001). Most of the solid tumors were malignant (p=0.002).

As the malignancy potential among the young was considerably high, a detailed clinical and pathological evaluation is mandatory for abdominopelvic masses.