Krukenberg tumor presenting as back pain and a positive urine pregnancy test: a case report and literature review.
A Krukenberg tumor is a rare and potentially deadly cause of elevated serum β-hCG as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome. This study aims to describe the unusual case of a 36-year-old woman that presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with back pain and a positive urine pregnancy test. Assessment revealed no intrauterine pregnancy and a small left ovarian cyst. Further investigation showed moderately differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma with distant metastases to the spine. The patient died less than 3 months after her first presentation to the ED. Paraneoplastic syndrome, albeit rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of elevated β-hCG due to the high mortality associated with Krukenberg tumors.
Center for Women Health Research, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. dalia4@gmail.com.
Dalia
D
Moghazy
Omar
O
Al-Hendy
Ayman
A
Al-Hendy
D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001706:Biopsy; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007725:Krukenberg Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011258:Pregnancy Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human