The pelvic mass. Patients' ages and pathologic findings.

The pathologic findings on 100 women undergoing laparotomy for a pelvic mass between August 1983 and September 1986 were analyzed. The most frequent diagnoses by age group were: cancer in 56% of women greater than or equal to 50 years of age, endometriosis in 27% of women 31-49 years of age and benign cystic teratoma in 33% of women less than or equal to 30 years of age. A malignancy was present in 17 women; five (29%) of the tumors had low malignant potential. Pelvic masses proved to be malignant in 9 (56%) of 16 women greater than 50 years old as compared to 4 (10%) of 39 women less than 30 years old (P less than .01). Of the four malignant tumors in women less than or equal to 30 years of age, three (75%) had low malignant potential as compared to one of nine (11%) in women greater than or equal to 50 years of age (P = .05). This series gives the clinician some numbers on which to base diagnostic probability as it relates to age when evaluating the woman with a pelvic mass.