Introduction: In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of pelvic tuberculosis mimicking ovarian cancer.
Material and methods: The data of a total of 13 patients diagnosed with peritoneal or genital tuberculosis in the gynecologic oncology unit between January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 39.4 ±14.1 (range: 22–67) years. The mean parity number was 1.69 ±1.1 (range: 0–5) and mean body mass index was 23.3 ±4.1 (range: 18–43) kg/m2. The mean cancer antigen 125 (CA125) level was 473 ±394 (range: 22–1153) U/ml. The most common complaints were abdominal pain (n = 3) and bloating (n = 9). The most common ultrasonographic findings were diffuse ascites and adnexal mass. No signs of malignancy were found in 6 patients who underwent paracentesis and in 5 patients who underwent endoscopy preoperatively. Six patients underwent laparoscopic surgery, whereas 7 patients underwent laparotomy by subumbilical medial incision. Findings in abdominal examination included diffuse adhesions (13/13), diffuse ascites (11/13), pelvic mass (10/13), and diffuse nodular formations (11/13).
Conclusions: In tuberculosis-endemic regions, peritoneal tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of malignant adnexal masses. Although various tests are helpful, histopathological and bacterial examination of tissue samples is of utmost importance for establishing a definitive diagnosis.