Isolated torsion of the hydrosalpinx in a postmenopausal woman.
OBJECTIVE
Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube is an uncommon cause of acute lower abdominal pain. It is often found in reproductive-age women and is found less in prepubertal and perimenopausal women.


METHODS
We describe a 70-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with lower abdominal pain and discomfort. Ultrasonography revealed a well-defined, echo-free cystic mass measuring 5.3 cm x 5.8 cm without septations. Laparoscopic examination showed a dark-red, round-shaped cystic lesion that twisted at the right infundibulo-pelvic ligament site in the right adnexa area with adhesion to the posterior uterine surface and separation from the atrophic ovary.


RESULTS
The pathology study of the excised tumor showed hydrosalpinx with torsion. The patient was asymptomatic after the procedure. Torsion of the hydrosalpinx is rare in postmenopausal women. In postmenopausal women presenting with low abdominal pain with an adnexal mass, the gynecologist should contemplate possible torsion of the hydrosalpinx.


CONCLUSIONS
The case was unusual in the postmenopausal age group, making it a rare presentation of a rare entity. Laparoscopy could be a useful tool in diagnosing and treating isolated tubal torsion.
Ding
Dah-Ching
DC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC. dah1003@yahoo.com.tw
Hsu
Senzan
S
Kao
Sheng-Po
SP
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods*; D017698:Postmenopause; D014102:Torsion Abnormality