Abstract
IntroductionFemale genital tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. It is an asymptomatic disease usually diagnosed during the search for causes of infertility. However, it can present with a number of abdominopelvic symptoms. Herein we report a case of tubo-ovarian tuberculosis mimicking acute appendicitis.Case presentationA 17-year-old single Turkish woman presented to our hospital with complaints of right lower quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Her physical examination findings, ultrasonogram, and leukocyte count were consistent with acute appendicitis. A cystic mass (15 cm × 6 cm) was detected on the right tubo-ovarian structure by laparotomy. The mass was excised while the tubo-ovarian structures were preserved and the need for an appendectomy was avoided. No microbiological evaluation was performed. The histopathological examination of the cystic mass revealed a granuloma with central caseating necrosis surrounded by epithelioid histiocytes. The patient was treated with anti-tuberculosis therapy for six months. No recurrence was observed during a 10-month follow-up period.ConclusionGenital tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of right lower quadrant pain in women who live in tuberculosis-endemic regions.
Highlights
Female genital tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Genital tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of right lower quadrant pain in women who live in tuberculosis-endemic regions
TB is divided into two clinical forms: pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB)
Summary
Female genital tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. It is an asymptomatic disease usually diagnosed during the search for causes of infertility. A variety of gynecological disorders can mimic acute appendicitis, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian torsion, tubal ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhagic cysts, recent ovulation, tubo-ovarian masses, or infected cysts, as well as granulomatous causes such as actinomycosis or tuberculosis (TB) [4]. Genital TB (GTB) is a form of EPTB that occurs more frequently in women, in whom it classically presents in association with infertility, menstrual irregularity, or abdominopelvic pain involving the right lower quadrant [6,9].
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