Giant cell arteritis of the female genital tract.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) of the female genital tract is rare with only 30 cases, including this case, documented in the literature. We present a patient who had total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for an ovarian cyst and on histologic examination GCA involving the arteries of the myometrium, cervical stroma, ovaries and tubes was unexpectedly discovered. Upon questioning of the patient and further investigations it became clear that the patient did have symptoms and signs suggestive of systemic GCA including fatigue, low-grade fever, weight loss and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Treatment with oral corticosteroids resulted in rapid and complete recovery. It is concluded that an incidental finding of GCA in the genitalia should alert the clinician to the possibility of systemic GCA. If upon questioning of the patient and further investigations the existence of systemic GCA is confirmed, treatment with corticosteroids should be considered.
Unit of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
B
B
Piura
A
A
Wolak
A
A
Rabinovich
I
I
Yanai-Inbar
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone