title: Genital and peritoneal tuberculosis: potential role of laparoscopy in diagnosis and management.
abstract: Genital and peritoneal tuberculosis are rare in developed countries and can mimic ovarian cancer. We report two different cases that came to our attention, both in a month. The first patient was referred to us for an asymptomatic pelvic mass. The second patient came to us because of weight loss, abdominal swelling, and ascites. Unfortunately, the imaging findings were misleading, and the laboratory analyses were not helpful. Only the laparoscopic approach was useful for final diagnosis. We conclude that the symptoms of abdominal tuberculosis vary greatly, and laparoscopy can be essential for its diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volpi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calgaro
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Viganò
mesh_terms: D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014395:Peritonitis, Tuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014384:Tuberculosis, Female Genital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*