A Discussion on the Origin of Cysts of the Broad Ligament

WHEN reading the literature concerning the cystic structures which may be found in the broad ligament one is impressed by the number of articles and case-records which demonstrate a looseness of pathological nomenclature which would not be tolerated in connexion with any other part of the body. That this inadequacy has been recognized by others is indicated in an article written 30 years ago by Keith and Doran,8 who clearly state that certain cysts which arise in the vicinity of the ovarian fimbria must not any longer be called parovarian. The terms which lend themselves to the creation of confusion of thought are : fimbrial cyst, parovarian cyst, Wolffian cyst, Gartner’s duct cyst, and broad ligament cyst. Some authors use these terms synonymously while others refer to specific structures with special properties when they employ them. We shall discuss at some length the relative merits of these terms, and in order to do so more effectively