Khalloufi C, Joudar I, Kanas A, Benhessou M, Ennachit M, El Kerrroumi M. Atypical adnexal mass misdiagnosed as an ovarian tumor revealing a bilateral tubal cancer. Case report.
Int J Surg Case Rep 2023;
105:108030. [PMID:
36989628 PMCID:
PMC10074559 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108030]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE
Primary epithelial cancers of the tube are a rare entity. They represent less than 2 % of gynecological tumors and are dominated by adenocarcinoma. Due to its proximity to the uterus and the ovary, the diagnosis of tubal cancer is very difficult to confirm, frequently misdiagnosed as a benign ovarian or tubal pathology. This may explain the underestimation of this cancer.
PRESENTATION OF CASE
We report a case of a 47 years old patient diagnosed with a pelvic mass, the patient had an hysterectomy with omentectomy revealing a bilateral tubal adenocarcinoma after the histopathological examination.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION
Tubal adenocarcinoma is a more common pathology in postmenopausal women. The treatment is similar to that for ovarian cancer. Symptoms and the serum CA-125 level may be helpful indicators but are neither specific nor always found. Therefore, careful intraoperative assessment of the adnexa is necessary.
CONCLUSION
Despite the refinement of diagnostic tools available to clinicians, it is still difficult to diagnose the tumor beforehand. Nonetheless, the diagnosis of tubal cancer must be suspected in the context of a differential diagnosis of an adnexal mass. Abdomino-pelvic ultrasound is the key examination in the diagnostic process and the discovery of a suspicious adnexal mass leads to the performance of a pelvic MRI and, if necessary, to surgical exploration. The therapeutic principles follow those of ovarian cancer. Efforts should be focused on the creation of regional and international registries of tubal cancer cases in order to achieve greater statistical power in future studies.
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