Massive ascites as a presentation in a young woman with endometriosis: a case report

Khalid H Sait, Khalid Sait, Sait KH
Fertility and sterility · 2008 · vol. 90(5) , pp. 2015.e17–2015.e19 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.021 · PMID:18778818 · W1996151037
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 19 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-09 ⓘ

This case report describes a young woman whose initial presentation of endometriosis was massive ascites, a rare but possible manifestation of the condition.

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo report a case of endometriosis associated with massive ascites and an elevated CA-125 level.DesignCase report.SettingTertiary care center.Patient(s)A 26-year-old woman presented with massive ascites and an increased CA-125 level suggestive of ovarian cancer.Intervention(s)Ultrasonography, laparotomy, and bilateral ovarian cystectomy and reconstruction. Endometriosis was diagnosed postoperatively on the basis of histopathology. The patient received 6 months of treatment with a GnRH analogue.Main outcome measure(s)Ultrasound examination 6 months after surgery to evaluate for ascites or recurrent ovarian cysts.Result(s)Frozen sections obtained at laparotomy and ovarian cystectomy ruled out a malignancy. The final histologic report was compatible with a diagnosis of endometriosis. After 6 months of treatment with the GnRH analogue, the patient experienced a progressive reduction of the ascitic fluid and full remission after 2 years.Conclusion(s)Endometriosis associated with massive bloody ascites is an unusual occurrence. This report draws attention to this condition as a complication of endometriosis. For this reason, endometriosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of reproductive-age women presenting with an apparent ovarian malignancy.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Ascites Endometriosis Ovarian Cysts Ovarian Neoplasms Adult Ascites Ascites Ascites CA-125 Antigen CA-125 Antigen Diagnosis, Differential Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gynecologic Surgical Procedures

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (41)

Cited by (19)

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