ABSTRACT
Ultrasound examination, both pre- and postnatal, has made it possible for clinicians to recognize perinatal ovarian cysts and other intra-abdominal masses for decades. Mature follicles can be found in up to 60" of newborn ovaries. Fetal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), fetal luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogens, and placental human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) all stimulate the ovarian follicle. The normal newborn ovary will exhibit several scattered anechoic cysts from 4 to 5 mm in diameter. Torsion is believed to occur when a relatively large, mobile mass twists on a long, thin pedicle. Pathologic examination, possible only if surgical removal is performed, will often confirm the diagnosis of an ovarian cyst. Most newborns with ovarian cysts will have a normal physical examination at birth. Since the ovary is an intra-abdominal organ in an infant, large cysts will displace the intestinal tract and present as palpable, but generally nontender, masses.
