Intraperitoneal Rupture of Mature Cystic Ovarian Teratoma Secondary to Sit-ups

Abstract

A case of general peritonitis caused by sudden perforation of a mature cystic ovarian teratoma is presented. The clinical course consisted of progressive abdominal tenderness after a 1600-m run and 12 subsequent sit-ups. An exploratory laparotomy revealed massive ascites and a 10-cm linear perforation over the dome of the tumor, probably caused by a sharp elevation of intra-abdominal pressure generated during the sit-ups. Neither peritoneal granulomatous reaction nor inflammatory adhesions to adjacent bowel loops were found. A search of the English literature did not reveal any similar case.