Early stage ovarian carcinoma with symptoms mimicking tuberculous peritonitis in a postmenopausal woman: A case report.

Journal: Medicine
Published:
Abstract

Background: Ovarian cancer has the poorest prognosis of the gynecological cancers. Early diagnosis and treatment are important, but early-stage ovarian carcinoma has nonspecific symptoms. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and serum CA-125 levels can be helpful but may not elucidate cases of diffuse peritoneal diseases mimicking carcinomatosis.

Methods: The patient had intermittent abdominal discomfort and dysuria. Abdominal-pelvic computed tomography findings were suspicious for peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) and a small cystic mass in the left ovary. The CA-125 values were normal. Methods: She underwent laparoscopy for pathologic confirmation of tuberculous peritonitis and management of the ovary mass. Bilateral adnexectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed a serous ovarian carcinoma in her left ovary and salpinx. Methods: Laparoscopic hysterectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, para-aortic nodal dissection, and omentectomy were carried out for staging evaluation.

Results: We encountered a rare case of ovary cancer stage IA serous ovarian carcinoma incidentally discovered by laparoscopy in a postmenopausal woman. She received adjuvant chemotherapy without relapse.

Conclusions: Peritoneal TB may mimic peritoneal or ovarian carcinoma, but the reverse case is rare. Hence, gynecologists should be careful in assessment of patients before treatment.