2) A frail 90-year-old woman presents with abdominal discomfort and bloating. She
has mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation. She has urinary frequency and nocturia.
An ultrasound scan reveals a 10 cm simple ovarian cyst. Her serum CA125 is
2 IU/l.
Explanation
This woman’s RMI is 1 × 3 × 2 = 6 (see question 301 for details).
This is very unlikely to be a malignant cyst, but the woman is symptomatic.
She is frail with co-morbidities.
Aspiration has no role in the management of asymptomatic ovarian cysts in
postmenopausal women. An exception exists for those symptomatic women who
are medically unfit to undergo surgery or further intervention. In these women,
aspiration will provide relief of their symptoms, albeit temporarily.