The authors made a retrospective analysis of 17 cases of ovarian macrocysts(>2 cm), between January 1985 and June 1994.

The cysts were diagnosed by pelvic ultrasonography and histology.

In 7 cases (41%) the diagnosis was prenatal, and in the others 10, the age at diagnosis (mean±SD) was 5Y±3Y(1Y-10Y). In this last group, the main forms of clinical presentation were precocious puberty (4), acute abdominal pain (4) and recurrent abdominal pain (2).

The mean±SD diameter of all the cysts was 5±2 cm, but those observed in the fetus were greater than the others (6±1 cm versus 4±2 cm).

Fifteen of the 17 girls required surgical management. All the girls with acute abdominal pain (4) had torsion of the cysts and required surgery. Three of this cysts located in the right ovary, the clinical presentation beeing similar to acute appendicitis.

All the children with prenatal cysts also required surgery between the 3rd day of life and the 3rd month.

Histology of the cysts showed that 40% were follicular, 20% benign teratomas and 40% were necrotic, not classifiable.