by Emily Goebel, MD FRCPC
June 6, 2022
A benign Brenner tumour is a rare non-cancerous ovarian tumour. These tumours may not cause any symptoms and may only be recognized by your pathologist after the ovary has been removed for other reasons. Occasionally benign Brenner tumours can be large, causing symptoms such as pelvic pain.
The diagnosis of benign Brenner tumour can be made after the tumour is removed and tissue is examined under the microscope by a pathologist. Microscopically the tumour is made up of specialized epithelial cells that resemble the transitional-type epithelium formally found in the bladder. Benign Brenner tumours are usually solid tumours although the inside of some tumours may show small spaces called cysts.
Yes, there are two other types of Brenner tumours called borderline Brenner tumour and malignant Brenner tumour.