title: Peritoneal tuberculosis in pregnancy mimicking advanced ovarian cancer: a plea to avoid hasty, radical and irreversible surgical decisions.
abstract: Tuberculous peritonitis is rare in most Western counties, and can cause significant diagnostic and therapeutic problems. A 28-year-old pregnant female presented with nausea and vomiting, right lower quadrant abdominal pain, fever and intra-abdominal fluid. During surgery for presumed complicated acute appendicitis, many small masses (considered to be 'implants') were found within the peritoneal cavity, with a larger mass in the pelvis, mainly on the right. The clinical intra-operative diagnosis was advanced ovarian cancer and multiple biopsies were taken. The histological diagnosis was peritoneal tuberculosis. The patient was successfully treated conservatively. Hasty decisions to undertake radical and irreversible surgery should be avoided; this type of surgery should be performed only after histological confirmation.
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Surgery, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens University, Medical School Athens, Athens, Greece. georgesakorafas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: George H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Sakorafas
authors.forename: Anastasions
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ntavatzikos
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Konstantiadou
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karamitopoulou
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kavatha
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000382:microbiology; D014395:Peritonitis, Tuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D018394:CA-125 Antigen