It is noteworthy that the tumor developed silently for a long time but did not cause obvious symptoms, causing the family to be subjective and detect late.
According to information from the family, during puberty, the baby's abdomen gradually grows over time. However, the child only occasionally has dull pain in the lower abdomen, no fever, no vomiting, eating and living normally, menstruation is regular, so they are not taken to the doctor early. This silent development causes the tumor to increase in size significantly before being detected.
Upon admission, the doctor recorded that the patient's abdomen was soft, a lump appeared in the lower abdomen that developed beyond the umbilical cord, and painless pressure. Tumor marker tests such as AFP and beta-hCG were both within normal limits. However, ultrasound and CT scan showed a very large abdominal tumor, about 18-25cm in size, with a mixed structure consisting of fluid and solid tissue. Inside the tumor, there was a wall, a solid tissue area, calcification and fat tissue, suggesting that the tumor originated from the right ovary. The tumor also compressed the right ureter, causing ureteral dilation and hydronephrosis of the right kidney.
According to BS.CKI Nguyen Hien (Department of General Surgery, Children's Hospital 2), when performing surgery, doctors recorded a tumor with a size of about 20x25x10cm, weighing nearly 4kg, occupying almost the entire right ovary. Due to the large tumor, its dense tissue composition and the risk of malignancy, the team decided to completely remove the right ovary and the right fallopian tube to completely remove the lesions. The surgery took place smoothly, and the patient recovered well after surgery.
Dr. Vu Truong Nhan - Head of General Surgery Department of Children's Hospital 2 - said that ovarian tumors in children often progress silently, easily confused with changes in the body during puberty or common digestive disorders. When the tumor grows large, the disease can cause dangerous complications such as ovarian torsion, tumor rupture or compression of adjacent organs.
Experts also said that in the long term, cutting one ovary and fallopian tube usually does not completely lose fertility. The remaining ovaries can still perform endocrine and reproductive functions if they operate normally, helping the patient still have a chance to reproduce in the future.
Doctors recommend that parents pay attention to signs such as abnormally large abdomen, prolonged abdominal pain, feeling a mass in the lower abdomen or digestive disorders of unknown cause. When these signs appear, children need to be taken to the doctor early to detect and treat them promptly.
In which, abdominal ultrasound is considered a simple, non-invasive, safe and easy-to-perform screening method. This method can help detect early tumors in the abdominal cavity, especially large tumors or those containing fluid, thereby supporting doctors in orienting diagnosis and prescribing more specialized techniques when necessary.
