Ovarian carcinoma or abdominal tuberculosis?-A diagnostic dilemma: study of fifteen cases

To evaluate the clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic features in women with abdominal tuberculosis that resembled advanced ovarian malignancy.

A retrospective review of women with abdominal tuberculosis who were managed at GCRI Ahmedabad from 1996 to 2001 was undertaken.

Fifteen patients (3.06 %) with suspected ovarian cancer cases, finally diagnosed as abdominal tuberculosis over a 6-year period (1996-2001), are analyzed. During this period, 492 patients were operated for suspected ovarian malignancy. Pre-operatively, ultrasound-guided biopsies were inconclusive in 14 cases and hence, exploratory laparotomy was planned. They underwent laparotomy and biopsy for final diagnosis. Frozen sections-of peritoneal/omental biopsies in 11 cases and ovarian tumour in three cases-were indicative of tuberculosis in all the 14 cases.

The data of this study indicate that the majority of the cases with peritoneal tuberculosis can be diagnosed intra-operatively through the use of frozen section in conjunction with clinical features. Ascites and high levels of Ca125 do not necessarily indicate that the clinical picture is malignant in reproductive women. Laparoscopic tissue biopsy may be a fundamental tool in the management of such cases to avoid extended surgery.