The CT features of ovarian cystadenofibroma and the differences between benign serous OCAFs and mucinous OCAFs

To summarize and explore computed tomography (CT) characteristics of ovarian cystadenofibromas (OCAFs) to help identify the differences in the imaging signature between serous and mucinous OCAFs.

The pre-operative CT images of 66 cases of pathologically confirmed ovarian OCAFs in 54 patients were reviewed. The CT image characteristics of OCAFs with different histological types were recorded and analyzed.

The histological results showed there were 51 benign serous OCAFs, 10 benign mucinous OCAFs, and 5 borderline OCAFs. CT features, including tumor size, unilocular cystic masses, multilocular cystic masses, and an “anti-sieve” sign of a cystic–solid mass were statistically significant for differentiating between the benign serous group and mucinous OCAF group (P < 0.05). Although the incidence of trabecular and carpet-like patterns in benign mucinous OCAFs was relatively higher than that in serous OCAFs, there was no statistical difference. Due to the small sample of borderline OCAF cases in this study (n = 5), statistical analysis was not applicable in this group.

There were significant differences in the incidence of CT features between benign serous OCAFs and mucinous OCAFs in terms of tumor size, uni- and multilocular findings, and anti-sieve signs, suggesting that these CT features may have certain value in differentiating benign serous from mucinous OCAFs.