According to the City Children's Hospital, the 14-year-old patient, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, was taken by her family for examination after realizing that her waist was getting bigger and bigger. It is worth mentioning that she did not have severe abdominal pain, did not have a fever and almost had no unusual symptoms, so relatives only thought she was gaining weight.
Ultrasound and CT scan results showed an ovarian tumor with a diameter of more than 40 cm, almost occupying the entire abdominal cavity. Inside the tumor contained more than 6 liters of fluid and components such as hair and fat tissue - typical characteristics of ovarian teratoma. The tumor was so large that it pushed the organs in the abdominal cavity to both sides.
According to Dr. Vo Tan Manh - City Children's Hospital, the biggest risk is not only the size of the tumor but also the possibility of tumor rupture during treatment. If this happens, tumor cells may spread in the abdominal cavity, making treatment more complicated.
After a multi-specialized consultation, the team decided to perform surgery with the goal of not only removing the entire tumor but also preserving the ovaries and preserving fertility for the patient.
During the surgery, doctors sucked out more than 6 liters of fluid before completely removing the tumor. Although the tumor was very large, the team still preserved the ovaries and only performed a surgical line of about 6 cm in the lower abdomen, helping to reduce pain, enhance aesthetics and shorten recovery time.
After only 5 days of treatment, the patient was able to walk and eat normally and was discharged from the hospital.
Doctors recommend that parents should not be subjective when seeing children, especially teenage girls, with abnormally rapid abdominal curvature, prolonged abdominal tension, rapid fullness or weight gain mainly in the abdomen. Timely examination and ultrasound can help detect diseases that progress silently such as ovarian tumors early, thereby improving treatment effectiveness and increasing the opportunity to preserve reproductive function for children.
