Is surgery necessary for a teratoma?

Written by Liu Jian Wei
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on April 14, 2025
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Once the presence of a teratoma is considered, surgical treatment is recommended. Surgery serves two purposes: first, to remove ovarian cysts for disease treatment; and second, the removed ovarian cysts require routine postoperative pathology to confirm the diagnosis of ovarian teratoma. Without a pathological diagnosis, it cannot be definitively diagnosed as an ovarian teratoma; the diagnosis must be supported by pathological results.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Post-operative care for teratoma surgery

Patients who have undergone teratoma surgery should be aware of the following clinical considerations. Firstly, postoperative patients should be carefully managed in terms of diet. If the teratoma is located in the abdomen, food should be restricted until intestinal function is restored, starting from liquids to semi-liquids and eventually solid foods. Secondly, if the teratoma is malignant, regular follow-up exams are necessary after surgery to monitor any changes in the condition. Thirdly, it’s important to monitor the color and amount of fluid in the drainage tube, as well as changes in the patient's body temperature, heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure after surgery to promptly detect and address any complications.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
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The difference between ovarian teratoma and cysts

Ovarian teratomas and ovarian cysts are two completely different diseases. Ovarian teratomas are caused by congenital factors and are tumors of the germ cells that can be benign or malignant, usually requiring surgical removal for treatment. Ovarian cysts, on the other hand, are caused by various factors in women, such as poor lifestyle habits or an imperfect diet structure, leading to a hormonal disease. Ovarian cysts can be physiological or pathological. Usually, physiological ovarian cysts gradually disappear with the menstrual cycle, while pathological ovarian cysts can also be benign or malignant. The need for surgical treatment depends on the nature, size, and clinical symptoms of the ovarian cyst.

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Written by Yan Qiao
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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How large must an ovarian teratoma be to require surgery?

Ovarian teratomas, if detected by ultrasound, are indicative of surgery regardless of the size of the tumor. However, it is essential to locate the lesion accurately to proceed with the surgery. For teratomas smaller than two centimeters, it can be quite challenging to find the lesion, which might lead to surgical failure. Additionally, this can increase the trauma for the patient and the costs of surgery. Thus, it is generally advised to perform surgery on teratomas that are larger than two centimeters to ensure a more reliable outcome. In cases where patients have other diseases in conjunction with a teratoma, it is also feasible to consider removing the teratoma during surgery for the other conditions, always attempting to thoroughly explore and locate the teratoma regardless of its size.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Does a teratoma affect pregnancy?

Teratomas can be classified into benign cystic teratomas and malignant teratomas. In most cases, teratomas are benign and do not affect future pregnancies. When a woman develops a teratoma, she can usually conceive normally about six months after surgical treatment, and most patients who undergo standard treatment can conceive naturally. When a teratoma is detected, it is first important to identify whether the teratoma is benign or malignant. After the surgical removal, further pathological examination is also necessary to make this determination. If the teratoma is benign in its early stages, the impact is not significant. However, if the teratoma continues to grow and presses on the fallopian tubes or ovaries, it may cause infertility, so timely treatment is necessary.

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Written by Zhang Lu
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Can a teratoma be detected by ultrasound?

Teratomas are a common type of solid tumor in the ovaries, and the vast majority of ovarian teratomas are benign. The most common method to examine teratomas in women is to perform an ultrasound. Generally, an abdominal ultrasound can be done 3-7 days after the menstrual cycle has ended to observe the ultrasonic echo of both ovaries. Normally, both ovaries are uniform in size and echo. If the ultrasound suggests the presence of a substantive mass on the ovary, which has a strong echo, or indicates the presence of fat or bone echoes, then this condition is highly suspected to be a teratoma. For ovarian teratomas, if the size is relatively small and there are no clinical symptoms, temporary observation is possible. However, if it is larger than five centimeters, laparoscopic removal is generally recommended.