An infected ovarian hematoma as the presenting symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an associated coagulation defect presented with the clinical picture of an inflammatory pelvic mass. The laboratory data led to the diagnosis of SLE. A laparotomy revealed an infected hematoma of the left ovary. The SLE-induced coagulation deficit may have caused an intraovarian hematoma at the time of ovulation that became infected secondarily and led to an inflammatory pelvic mass as the first sign of SLE.