title: Massive ovarian edema, due to adjacent appendicitis.
abstract: Massive ovarian edema is a benign clinical entity, the imaging findings of which can mimic an adnexal mass or ovarian torsion. In the setting of acute abdominal pain, identifying massive ovarian edema is a key in avoiding potential fertility-threatening surgery in young women. In addition, it is important to consider other contributing pathology when ovarian edema is secondary to another process. We present a case of a young woman presenting with subacute abdominal pain, whose initial workup revealed marked enlarged right ovary. Further imaging, diagnostic tests, and eventually diagnostic laparoscopy revealed that the ovarian enlargement was secondary to subacute appendicitis, rather than a primary adnexal process. We review the classic ultrasound and MRI imaging findings and pitfalls that relate to this diagnosis.
authors: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA. andrew.callen@ucsf.edu.
authors: Andrew L
authors: AL
authors: Callen
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors: Tushani
authors: T
authors: Illangasekare
authors: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors: Liina
authors: L
authors: Poder
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004487:Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Abdominal and pelvic pain; Massive ovarian edema; Ovarian torsion