Ruptured Ovarian Cystic Teratoma: A Rare Diagnosis, Easily to Be Confused with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 60; no. 3; p. 460
• Main Authors: Costachescu, Dan, Motofelea, Alexandru Catalin, Malita, Daniel, Birsasteanu, Florica, Ionita, Ioana, Motofelea, Nadica, Jura, Cristina Ana-Maria, Bacila, Ioana-Flavia, Bacila, Mihai, Motoi, Sorin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.03.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Abdomen; Asymptomatic; Body fat; Carcinoma - diagnosis; Carcinoma - surgery; Case Report; complications; computed tomography; Connective tissue; CT imaging; Cysts; Diagnostic imaging; Emergency medical services; Exocrine glands; Female; Gastric cancer; Humans; Laparotomy; Magnetic resonance imaging; Middle Aged; Ovarian cancer; ovarian cystic teratoma; Ovarian Neoplasms - diagnosis; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Ovaries; Peritoneal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Peritoneal Neoplasms - pathology; Peritoneal Neoplasms - surgery; Postmenopausal women; rupture; Surgery; Teratoma; Teratoma - diagnosis; Teratoma - pathology; Teratoma - surgery; Thyroid gland; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; ultrasound; Romania; Germany; computed tomography; ovarian cystic teratoma; magnetic resonance imaging; complications; ultrasound; rupture
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina60030460

Although ovarian cystic teratoma is the most common ovarian tumor, complications are quite rare. However, it is important to be recognized by the radiologist in order to avoid inaccurately diagnosing them as malignant lesions. This case report describes a 61-year-old postmenopausal woman, who presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain following a minor blunt abdominal trauma. In this context, a CT scan was performed, which showed the presence of round, hypodense masses randomly distributed in the peritoneum, with coexisting ascites in moderate amount; ovarian carcinoma with peritoneal carcinomatosis was suspected. The patient was hospitalized and an MRI of the abdomen and pelvis was recommended for a more detailed lesion characterization. Following this examination, the patient was diagnosed with mature cystic ovarian teratoma complicated by rupture. Surgery was performed, and the outcome was favorable. The cases of ruptured cystic teratomas are rare, and to our knowledge, this is the first occurrence described in literature. Special attention must be paid when confronting with such a case in medical practice, since it can easily misdiagnosed as peritoneal carcinomatosis.