Widespread endometriosis mimicking ovarian malignancy: A case report

R A Akinola, Akinola RA, RA Akinola, OI Akinola, Akinola OI, O I Akinola, A Alakija, Alakija A, Ololade Wright, K O Wright, Wright KO
The Nigerian postgraduate medical journal · 2012 · vol. 19(1) , pp. 46 · doi:10.4103/1117-1936.170329 · PMID:22430602 · W2340799334
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A case report describes widespread endometriosis mimicking ovarian malignancy in a 26-year-old woman, highlighting that histological confirmation is required to distinguish this condition from cancer when presenting with ascites and pleural effusion.

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Abstract

A 26 year old Nigerian nulliparous woman who presented in the medical emergency unit of a teaching hospital was referred after two weeks of management to the gynecology casualty with a diagnosis of malignant left ovarian cyst, because of the ascites, massive haemorrhagic pleural effusion, a left ovarian mass and an elevated C-125 marker. However, exploratory laparotomy, cytologic and histological examination of the pleural fluid and biopsied specimens revealed endometriosis. We present a case of intra and extra-pelvic endometriosis which simulated a malignant ovarian lesion and was histologically confirmed by cytology of the haemorrhagic pleural effusion and biopsy of the ovarian mass and peritoneal deposits obtained at laparotomy. This is to draw the attention of clinicians to endometriosis as a cause of pleural effusion, ascites and groin swelling which can simulate ovarian cancer.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Ovarian Neoplasms Adult Ascites Ascites CA-125 Antigen CA-125 Antigen Diagnosis, Differential Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Hemoptysis Hemoptysis Humans Ovarian Neoplasms Ovary Ovary Pleural Effusion Pleural Effusion

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.

Cited by (6)

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