Background: The aim of this study was to assess clinical outcome after laparoscopic treatment of borderline ovarian tumor (BOT).
Patients and methods: Thirty-four patients treated initially and/or for recurrent disease using a laparoscopic approach for BOT from 1984 to January 2002.
Results: Thirty-four patients underwent laparoscopic pure treatment (without conversion by laparotomy and/or reassessment surgery by laparotomy) for BOT. Conservative treatment was performed in 31 (91%) patients. Median follow-up time was 45 months (range 6-228). Six (17%) patients recurred (in the remaining ovary following conservative surgery in five patients and in the peritoneum in one patient). Two port-site metastases were observed. None of the patients had recurrent disease in the form of ovarian carcinoma. Nine spontaneous pregnancies were observed in six patients from a group of 15 patients desiring pregnancy. All patients are alive today and disease-free.
Conclusion: These results seem to demonstrate that laparoscopic treatment can be safely performed in young patients with early stage BOT. Such a procedure is then feasible, but should be evaluated in patients with BOT and peritoneal implants.