Prevalence of ovarian torsion in postmenopausal women in a Nigerian community

This study aimed at determining the prevalence of ovarian torsion in postmenopausal women in Nigeria. For this purpose, a histopathology data pool was maintained for 30 years among the Igbos, a large ethnic group in Nigeria from where postmenopausal women diagnosed with ovarian torsion were extracted for classification. The data concerned 69 cases. All were presented with acute abdominal pain. None was malignant. The patients were aged between 47 and 65 years (mean 55.5 years); their parity ranged from 1 to 8 (average 5); the size of the specimens ranged from 6 to 20 cm (average 9.5 cm); and the right/left involvement was in the ratio of 3:2. It was concluded that there are well-acknowledged risk factors for ovarian torsion even in postmenopausal women presenting with acute abdominal pain. Consequently, even in a developing country, there is need for clinical awareness of this important entity. Key words: Ovary, torsion, menopause, Nigeria.