Benign mature teratomas account for approximately 10-17% of all ovarian neoplasms and are the type of ovarian neoplasm most likely to occur during a woman's reproductive life. Bilateral localization is observed in some 10-15% of cases and the estimated incidence of malignant degeneration is 0.5-1.8%. The authors report a case of a 35-year-old woman admitted with discontinuous abdominal and pelvic pain. Imaging procedures showed an adnexal mass with the appearance of a dermoid cyst. The patient underwent laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy with preservation of the adnexal gland. After a review of the international literature and a description of the clinical features of the disease the authors go on to stress the advantages of laparoscopic management of benign ovarian teratomas.