Objective: A retrospective study of the postmenopausal palpable ovary (PMPO) on their incidence, characteristics of masses and treatment selected were carried out.

Methods: 97 postmenopausal women over age 50 with ovarian masses diagnosed by the manual pelvic palpation were analyzed. The age, size and characteristics of tumor, symptoms, as well as pathological findings and treatment were discussed.

Results: 86.6% of cases had tumor masses, and 13.4% were physiological in nature. 23.7% of the masses were malignant. 72 patients (74.2%) visited doctors because of existing symptoms. Among them 82.5% cases had the masses discovered by manual pelvic examination, and 91.3% found by abdominal ultrasound screening. Transvaginal sonography can diagnose all the palpable masses.

Conclusion: All PMPO patients should be operated as soon as diagnosis is established.