Ovarian abscess from Salmonella: a case report.
BACKGROUND
An ovarian site of Salmonella bacteremia is rare. The contents of a teratoma may hide the organisms easily. Clinicians should be alert to this possibility when the patient had a teratoma with Salmonella infection.


METHODS
A 19-year-old woman presented with a missed menstrual period. An adnexal mass was found during a routine gynecologic examination. The patient had had gastroenteritis 2 months earlier but did not complain of a gastrointestinal problem at presentation. Exploratory laparotomy was performed for a suspected ovarian tumor. An infective teratoma was considered, but the infection source was unknown until the culture report showed a Salmonella infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Salmonella infection is a self-limiting, febrile disease and is unlikely to involve organs other than the gut. A nontyphoid ovarian abscess became a rare late complication of acute gastroenteritis. Clinicians should pay special attention to the differential diagnosis of ovarian tumor in patients with a history of Salmonella infection, especially those with such ovarian lesions as endometrioma or teratoma and with recent abdominal pain, as noted in this case.
Chin
Hung-Yen
HY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan, Republic of China. chin671009@yahoo.com.tw
Chiang
Ping-Cherng
PC
Chen
Kuang-Chao
KC
D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome