A Rare Case of Pelvic Organ Prolapse with Adnexal Masses and Incidentally Diagnosed Appendicitis in a 67 Year Old Postmenopausal Woman: A Multidisciplinary Case Report

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This case report details a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with pelvic organ prolapse and adnexal masses, and unexpectedly required an appendectomy during surgery.

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This multidisciplinary case report describes a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman with chronic constipation and pelvic discomfort in whom ultrasound and CT identified stage II pelvic organ prolapse with both anterior and posterior vaginal wall involvement, alongside right paraovarian (~6 cm) and ovarian cysts and right hydrosalpinx. During laparoscopic management, acute appendicitis was incidentally discovered, and she underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, total vaginal hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, and levator ani reconstruction, with uneventful recovery and resolved pelvic symptoms at three months. The main limitation is that findings are from a single rare case without comparative evaluation. This paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.

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Abstract

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in postmenopausal women may coincide with adnexal masses, such as paraovarian or ovarian cysts, complicating diagnosis and surgical planning. Furthermore, incidental appendicitis discovered during pelvic surgery is exceedingly rare, posing additional intraoperative challenges. Case Presentation: We describe a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman with chronic constipation and pelvic discomfort. Imaging (ultrasound and CT) revealed right-sided paraovarian (~6 cm) and ovarian cysts, right hydrosalpinx, and stage II POP involving both anterior and posterior vaginal walls. During laparoscopic exploration, acute appendicitis was discovered unexpectedly. The patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, total vaginal hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, and levator ani reconstruction. She recovered uneventfully and at three-month follow-up her pelvic symptoms resolved. Conclusions: This unique case underscores the importance of detailed preoperative imaging, intraoperative vigilance, and a coordinated multidisciplinary surgical approach in managing complex pelvic pathology in postmenopausal women. INTRODUCTION Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a frequent condition in women, particularly in the postmenopausal population, due to loss of connective tissue elasticity, hormonal changes, and increased lifetime exposure to intra-abdominal stress [1,2]. While mild prolapse is common, advanced prolapse (stage III– IV) is less frequently observed in women without prior pelvic surgery or childbirth-related trauma [3]. Concurrently, adnexal masses such as paraovarian cysts and ovarian cysts may occur in postmenopausal women. Paraovarian cysts, arising from mesosalpinx or paratubal tissue, account for a minority of adnexal masses (10–20%) and are often benign and asymptomatic [4–6]. Hydrosalpinx in older women may reflect prior inflammation or surgery [7]. Incidental appendicitis discovered during gynecologic surgery is exceptionally rare but has been reported in isolated cases [8–10]. Its unexpected presence adds complexity to surgical decision-making, especially in elderly patients with comorbidities. We report a rare case of a 67-year-old woman with advanced POP, coexisting adnexal cystic masses, and incidental acute appendicitis detected during laparoscopic surgery. We discuss the diagnostic evaluation, surgical strategy, and postoperative outcome, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach.
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Background

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in postmenopausal women may coincide with adnexal masses, such as paraovarian or ovarian cysts, complicating diagnosis and surgical planning. Furthermore, incidental appendicitis discovered during pelvic surgery is exceedingly rare, posing additional intraoperative challenges. Case Presentation: We describe a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman with chronic constipation and pelvic discomfort. Imaging (ultrasound and CT) revealed right-sided paraovarian (~6 cm) and ovarian cysts, right hydrosalpinx, and stage II POP involving both anterior and posterior vaginal walls. During laparoscopic exploration, acute appendicitis was discovered unexpectedly. The patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, total vaginal hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, and levator ani reconstruction. She recovered uneventfully and at three-month follow-up her pelvic symptoms resolved. Conclusions: This unique case underscores the importance of detailed preoperative imaging, intraoperative vigilance, and a coordinated multidisciplinary surgical approach in managing complex pelvic pathology in postmenopausal women.

Introduction

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a frequent condition in women, particularly in the postmenopausal population, due to loss of connective tissue elasticity, hormonal changes, and increased lifetime exposure to intra-abdominal stress [1,2]. While mild prolapse is common, advanced prolapse (stage III– IV) is less frequently observed in women without prior pelvic surgery or childbirth-related trauma [3]. Concurrently, adnexal masses such as paraovarian cysts and ovarian cysts may occur in postmenopausal women. Paraovarian cysts, arising from mesosalpinx or paratubal tissue, account for a minority of adnexal masses (10–20%) and are often benign and asymptomatic [4–6]. Hydrosalpinx in older women may reflect prior inflammation or surgery [7]. Incidental appendicitis discovered during gynecologic surgery is exceptionally rare but has been reported in isolated cases [8–10]. Its unexpected presence adds complexity to surgical decision-making, especially in elderly patients with comorbidities. We report a rare case of a 67-year-old woman with advanced POP, coexisting adnexal cystic masses, and incidental acute appendicitis detected during laparoscopic surgery. We discuss the diagnostic evaluation, surgical strategy, and postoperative outcome, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. Files Case report POP and Appendictomy .pdf Files (253.9 kB) | Name | Size | Download all | |---|---|---| | md5:5f278e8bff5d14378eadddfa3c025a36 | 253.9 kB | Preview Download | Additional details

References

- 1. Smith, A. J., Jones, B. R. Epidemiology of pelvic organ prolapse in postmenopausal women. Maturitas 2018, 115, 46–52. - 2. Barber, M. D.; Maher, C. Epidemiology and outcome assessment of pelvic organ prolapse. Int. Urogynecol. J. 2013, 24, 1783–1790. - 3. Olsen, A. L.; Smith, V. J.; Bergstrom, J. O.; Colling, J. C.; Clark, A. L. Epidemiology of surgically managed pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Obstet. Gynecol. 1997, 89, 501–506. - 4. Savelli, L.; Ghi, T.; De Iaco, P.; Ceccarini, M.; Venturoli, S.; Cacciatore, B. Paraovarian/paratubal cysts: correlation of transvaginal sonographic and pathological findings. Hum. Reprod. 2006, 21, 3428– 3433. - 5. Kiseli, M.; Caglar, G. S.; Cengiz, S. D.; Karadag, D.; Yilmaz, M. Clinical presentation and complications of paraovarian cysts: a literature review. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Res. 2012, 38, 849–856. - 6. Jain, K. A. Sonographic spectrum of paraovarian and paratubal cysts. Ultrasound Q. 2010, 26, 57–62. - 7. Bae, J. H.; Lee, H. J.; Choi, S. Hydrosalpinx in postmenopausal women: clinical significance and management. Obstet. Gynecol. Sci. 2019, 62, 431– 438. - 9. Green, M.; Patel, R.; Gupta, N. Acute appendicitis discovered during pelvic reconstructive surgery: case series. Gynecol. Surg. 2016, 13, 327– 333. - 10. Lee, C. Y.; Tseng, C. L.; Lin, Y. Unexpected appendiceal pathology during pelvic surgery in elderly women. Clin. Interv. Aging 2017, 12, 1057–1062

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