1) A 65-year-old woman has an incidental finding of an ovarian cyst during an MRI
scan to evaluate her spine. A follow-up ultrasound confirms this to be a simple
cyst with a maximum diameter of 4.5 cm. Her serum CA125 is 5 IU/l. The woman
is asymptomatic.
Asymptomatic, simple, unilateral, unilocular ovarian cysts of <5 cm in diameter
have a low risk of malignancy. In the presence of normal serum CA125 levels,
these cysts can be managed conservatively, with a repeat evaluation in 4–6
months. It is reasonable to discharge these women from follow-up after 1 year if
the cyst remains unchanged or reduces in size, with normal serum CA125, taking
into consideration the woman’s wishes and surgical fitness.