• Ovarian carcinomas represent 6th most common cancer, the second most common gynecologic cancer and 4th leading cause of cancer death in women. With no viable screening estimates accessible, 70% of ovarian malignancies are diagnosed at a late stage. Separation of benign lesions from the malignant ones is of foremost significance to direct the correct clinical management. Imaging modalities, particularly ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have become the first line for ovarian lesions diagnosis.
• US remains the study of choice in the initial evaluation of suspected adnexal masses because it is relatively inexpensive, noninvasive, and widely available. Transabdominal US, endovaginal US, or both should be performed for the evaluation of adnexal masses.
• MR imaging is a useful modality for differentiating benign and malignant ovarian tumors, and a specific diagnosis can be made for certain pathologic entities. Morphologic appearance, signal intensity characteristics, DWI and adequate use of intravenous contrast material provide information for arriving at the correct diagnosis.