Pelvic actinomycosis with clinical features of an adnexal neoplastic tumor – a case report
Adam Paplicki, Piotr Sobiczewski, Magdalena Kowalska, Rafał Nowak, Izabela Krzyszkowska
Actinomycosis manifesting as a pelvic tumor is a rare complication following a long-term use of a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD), which constitutes about 3% of all human actinomycosis infections. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, hematuria, and inflammatory bowel disease. A clinical examination reveals an adnexal tumor, and occasionally intraperitoneal abscesses or even an enterovesical fistula. The lack of any typical symptoms makes the diagnostics very difficult, thereby necessitating a laparotomy in most cases. Case report: A 41-year-old woman was admitted to The Gynecologic Oncology Department of The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center in Warsaw with a three-month history of abdominal pain, and a weight loss of 23 kg over the same period. The patient had a contraceptive intrauterine device inserted 17 years earlier. A clinical examination, a transvaginal ultrasound and a computed tomography scan revealed a mass of 170 × 150 × 100 mm in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen and the pelvis, as well as dilated left ureter, and left-side hydronephrosis. Due to the presence of the tumor suspicious for malignancy, the patient was scheduled for a surgical procedure. The surgery included: a total abdominal hysterectomy, a left-side salpingo-oophorectomy, and an omentectomy, followed by a biopsy of the right-side iliac lymph nodes. A histologic examination established pelvic actinomycosis. Conclusion: A diagnosis of pelvic actinomycosis should be considered in patients with a pelvic mass, particularly those with a long-term history of an intrauterine contraceptive device, thereby affecting the choice of the course and the extent of treatment.