Natural history and malignant potential of simple ovarian cysts in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE: Postmenopausal ovarian masses are not uncommon, and the incidence of ovarian cancer rises sharply after menopause.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the natural history and malignant potential of postmenopausal simple ovarian cysts.

EVIDENCE REVIEW: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), ClinicalTrials.gov, and ISRCTN (International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register) were searched from inception to January 31, 2022. Meta-analyses were conducted using R software.

FINDINGS: Twelve cohort studies with 1,672 participants and 1,513 ovarian cysts were included. The rates of simple cysts remaining unchanged (38.90%; 95% CI, 19.79%-59.85%; P < 0.01) or disappearing (34.17%; 95% CI, 19.13%-50.93%; P < 0.01) were the highest during conservative observation. The surgery rate for the simple cyst was 19.04% (95% CI, 8.19%-32.92%; P < 0.01). The malignancy rate (including borderline tumors) was very low, approximately 1/10,000 (95% CI, 0% to 0.23%; P = 0.79).

CONCLUSIONS: Simple ovarian cysts in postmenopausal women were most likely to remain unchanged or disappear during follow-up. The malignancy rate was approximately 1 in 10,000. Personal preference is the most common reason for surgery.