Chemical peritonitis resulting from spontaneous rupture of a mature ovarian cystic teratoma: a case report

Management of ruptured ovarian teratoma mimicking advanced ovarian cancer

•Chronic chemical peritonitis caused by spontaneous rupture of a mature cystic teratoma may result in prolonged hospitalization and respiratory decline and can mimic a gynecologic malignancy.•Earlier surgical intervention for mature teratoma may prevent morbidity.•Inclusion of a gynecologic oncologist is advised for management discussions and/or surgical back-up.•Complex benign gynecologic surgeries may have some benefit for gynecologic oncologic trainees, which can be used for later oncologic cases.

Ruptured teratoma mimicking a pelvic inflammatory disease and ovarian malignancy: A case report

BACKGROUND

We report a case of ruptured ovarian teratoma mimicking pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and ovarian malignancy. The case indicates the need for reviewing the information on ovarian teratomas, as the symptoms are vague, and, therefore, diagnosis and treatment had to be structured accordingly.

CASE SUMMARY

A 60-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department with acute lower abdominal pain. She experienced weight loss and increased abdominal girth. Pelvic ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a 14-cm pelvic tumor. Laboratory examination revealed leukocytosis (white blood cell count: 12620/μL, segment: 87.7%) and high levels of C-reactive protein (18.2 mg/dL). Elevated levels of the tumor marker cancer antigen 19-9 (367.8 U/mL, normal value < 35 U/mL) were also noted. Due to the impression of a ruptured tubo-ovarian abscess or a tumor with malignancy, she immediately underwent an exploratory laparotomy. A ruptured ovarian tumor with fat balls, hair strands, cartilage, and yellowish fluid was observed on the right side. Right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. A pathological examination revealed a mature cystic teratoma. The patient recovered after surgery and was discharged on post-operative day three. No antibiotics were administered.

CONCLUSION

This case illustrates the differential diagnosis of an ovarian tumor. Therefore, surgery is the mainstay for treating a ruptured teratoma.

Lost in descent: Complications of cryptorchidism

Cryptorchidism is a relatively common and important clinical entity and can lead to an array of downstream complications if it is not corrected in a timely manner, most notably with the development of testicular germ cell tumors. However, beyond the development of malignancy, there are other rare complications associated with cryptorchid testicular germ cell tumors which are more commonly seen in females with ovarian germ cell tumors, including torsion, rupture, and paraneoplastic syndromes. Presented is an instructive case (with literature review) of a patient who presented with NMDA encephalitis due to a torsed mixed germ cell tumor of an undescended testis, which subsequently ruptured leading to growing teratoma syndrome.

Dermoid Cyst Spillage Resulting in Chemical Peritonitis: A Case Report and Literature Review

A dermoid cyst, also called a mature teratoma, is a benign tumor of the ovary derived from pluripotent germ cells. It is often asymptomatic; however, it can be expressed by several complications, including infection, adnexal torsion, and rupture. Rarely ovarian dermoid cysts can also transform into malignant degeneration. A ruptured teratoma is a rare and life-threatening complication and may arise spontaneously. However, cystic rupture is often secondary to surgical procedures such as ovarian cystectomy, leading to acute peritonitis and surgical emergency. Herein, we report a case of acute peritonitis in a female resulting from ovarian dermoid cyst spillage. Her clinical picture and radiological imaging were consistent with a ruptured ovarian cyst leading to chemical peritonitis, and a histopathological examination confirmed an ovarian dermoid cyst.

Malignant transformation of primary mature teratoma of colon: A case report

BACKGROUND

Mature teratoma is a common benign ovarian germ cell tumor, accounting for about 20% of ovarian tumors. The malignant transformation of this tumor is less than 2%. The most common type is squamous cell carcinoma, followed by adenocarcinoma. Malignant transformation of colonic mature teratoma is extremely rare. We here report a case of malignant transformation of primary mature teratoma of the colon. The type of malignant transformation was adenocarcinoma.

CASE SUMMARY

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to persistent pain in her right lower abdomen for 1 mo, and she had no nausea, vomiting, blood in the stools, or other symptoms. Preoperative colonoscopy showed uplift of the sigmoid colon mucosa and submucosa. The biopsy showed squamous epithelium. However, contrast-enhanced computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis showed a localized thickening of the sigmoid wall, suggesting colon cancer. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) revealed that the structure of the intestinal wall at the base of the lesion was destroyed, and the boundary between the lesion and the surroundings was unclear. According to the findings of the EUS, the patient did not undergo endoscopic submucosal dissection, but underwent radical resection of the tumor. Histologically, squamous epithelium was seen on the mucosal surface of the colon wall, cartilage and glands were seen under the epithelium, and adenocarcinoma was seen on the muscular layer and serous surface. The final pathological diagnosis was malignant teratoma of the colon. We have followed up the patient for 2 mo since the operation, and the patient recovered well.

CONCLUSION

This case suggests the possibility of mature teratoma in the colon and recognition of malignant types, and it should not be considered as an exclusively ovarian tumor.

Incidental Discovery of a Chronically Ruptured Ovarian Dermoid in a Patient With Right Upper Quadrant Pain

Ovarian neoplasms are categorized based on histopathologic features into epithelial surface cell tumors, germ cell tumors (teratomas), sex cord-stromal tumors, and metastases. Teratomas are the most common ovarian germ cell neoplasms. They are generally slow-growing lesions and can get fairly large before becoming symptomatic. The lesions are often incidentally discovered during imaging for other diagnostic purposes. Complications are uncommon but occur more commonly with larger lesions and include torsion, malignant degeneration, rupture, and rarely infection. When sizable, ovarian dermoid can rarely rupture and result in spillage of proteinaceous content into the peritoneal cavity, which can lead to chemical peritonitis. Additionally, the lesion can fragment into smaller lesions and can get implanted at different sites within the abdomen and pelvis. We present a case with an atypical presentation of a ruptured dermoid in a patient presenting with right upper quadrant pain who underwent sonographic evaluation, which demonstrated acute calculus cholecystitis but incidentally was found to have a partially calcified right subphrenic mass. Subsequent evaluation with computed tomography (CT) demonstrated multiple scattered peritoneal and mesenteric masses containing fat and calcification, highly suggestive of a chronically ruptured dermoid cyst.

Peritonitis From Ruptured Lipid-Poor Dermoid: Struma Ovarii

Mature cystic teratoma (MCT) is a common benign ovarian germ cell tumor. It is more predominantly seen in premenopausal women and contains at least two or more well-differentiated germ cell layers. It is termed a dermoid cyst if the ectodermal tissue is the predominant component. The complications of a dermoid cyst include torsion, malignant degeneration, rupture, and infection. The incidence of a ruptured dermoid cyst is around 1%-2% resulting in chemical aseptic peritonitis from spillage of the cyst contents. Usual clinical presentation is with diffuse abdominal or pelvic pain and abdominal distension. Around 93-96% of dermoid cysts demonstrate fat in the cyst cavity however, minimal or no fat poses diagnostic challenges. In this case, we discuss a rare case of spontaneously ruptured lipid-poor and thyroid tissue-rich left ovarian dermoid presenting with chemical peritonitis. Special magnetic resonance (MR) Imaging sequences such as fat saturation imaging, chemical shift imaging, and gradient-echo imaging assist in detecting scant amounts of fat in the cyst cavity or cyst wall.