The effect of laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy on anti-mullerian hormone: a case series

Laparoscopic cystectomy for benign ovarian pathologies overall has been shown to reduce anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), an important biomarker of ovarian reserve and fertility; however, the effect of dermoid cystectomy on ovarian reserve remains unclear. We sought to measure the change in AMH from before and after planned laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy at our surgical center in a case series. Females of reproductive age between 18 and 40 years presenting with a pre-operative diagnosis of a unilateral dermoid cyst on pelvic ultrasound and an indication for laparoscopic cystectomy were recruited. AMH levels were measured pre-operatively and repeated post-operatively between 6 and 8 weeks and the histology was checked to confirm a dermoid cyst. The laparoscopic surgery was undertaken using a standard technique at our center by senior gynecologists. A non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to assess the difference between paired serum AMH samples. Of the seven females with dermoid cyst on final histopathology, there was no statistically significant difference observed between the pre-operative and post-operative AMH levels (W-value 13, P-value not less than 0.05). Our case series did not show any difference between pre-operative and post-operative AMH results following laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy and more data are required on the impact on ovarian reserve from future studies.