Right ovarian torsion and oophorectomy in second trimester of pregnancy with subsequent live birth at term

Abstract

Introduction: Ovarian torsion is a cause of acute abdomen in pregnancy with an incidence of less than 1% occurring most commonly in the first trimester. The symptoms are non-specific with a propensity for missed or delayed diagnosis which may worsen the morbidity associated with this condition. Management is mainly surgical and pregnancy outcome is usually satisfactory. Case presentation: We present the case of a 29-year-old G2 P0 +1 with background polycystic ovaries who complained of abdominal pains at an Estimated Gestational Age (EGA) of 21 weeks in pregnancy. Clinical suspicion was confirmed with a 2D abdominopelvic ultrasound and she subsequently had emergency exploratory laparotomy with right oophorectomy. Pregnancy progressed well and she had a live birth at term. Conclusion: Ovarian torsion is rare in pregnancy. Complications following prompt surgical intervention are however, few and pregnancy outcomes are usually favourable. Keywords: Ovarian cyst; torsion; acute abdomen; cyst accident; pregnancy.