Giant ovarian tumors: uncommon ovarian tumors. Report of four cases.

Over time, the large size of some tumors has been described with fascination. The term "giant" is frequently used to refer to these large gynecologic tumors. Also, to call them "giants", their measurements >10 cm, >15 cm, >20 cm are usually used, and sometimes the limits for their definition are not mentioned. Others define "large" as those >5 cm, those measuring 10-20 cm or those reaching above the umbilicus. In the English-speaking literature, there has been an agreement for more than 53 years on defining uterine or ovarian tumors weighing more than 25 lb as "giants", because, in 1971, Beacham etal, reviewed the uterine or ovarian tumors reported between 1946-1970, weighing 25 lb. or more. The present study aimed to report the clinical characteristics and management of four uncommon cases of giant tumors, with good surgical management, that evolved successfully and without complications. We defined as "giants", gynecologic tumors weighing 25 lb or more and the used parameter was weight, not measurements. Four tumors were benign, cystadenoma-type, and three serous. Two patients were nulliparous, and two were of indigenous race. All four patients were of extreme ages. The tumors weighed 46.738, 65.256, 26.675 and 27.116 lb (21.200, 29.600, 12.100 and 12.300 kg).