Imaging Characteristics of Typical and Atypical Ovarian Teratoma, Comprehensive Review: Radiologic Pathologic Correlation

Background: Germ cell tumors that make up about 20% of all ovarian tumors are called ovarian teratomas, their most common types are typical and atypical ones. Because of the unique intratumoral fat component, they are usually easily de-tected by imaging techniques. Various unusual imaging find-ings, on the other hand, can be highly deceiving. Aim of Study: This study highlighted the role of Ultra-sonography (US), Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identification of atypical mature ovarian cystic teratomas depending on its components or com-plications in female patients for better prognosis and early suc-cessful management. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytic study, eighty female patients underwent the US. CT was done in ten cases, MRI in fifteen cases, and five cases were subject-ed to both CT & MRI. Their ages ranged from 13-50 years. Results: In our study, fifty cases were diagnosed as typi-cal teratoma and thirty cases were atypical. Histopathological correlation was done for all participants. The sensitivity of US was 100% in the detection of typical Mature cystic teratoma (MCT) without the need for other imaging modalities. While in atypical cases, the US wasn’t conclusive. The added imag-ing tools of MRI and CT in the US raised the sensitivity for the diagnosis of atypical cases up to 86.6%. Conclusions: Ultrasound is the primary imaging modal-ity. In typical cases; no further imaging will be required. US combined with CT/MRI can detect properly atypical imaging findings of ovarian teratomas. CT alone was excellent in mac-roscopic fat and calcification detection, and MRI was superior in microscopic fat detection and was an adjuvant tool in kera-tin identification by the modality of DWI, especially in fatless MCT.