Endometriosis is a common clinical presentation for gynaecologists. Occasionally it can present to general surgeons as a swelling in the groin or abdominal wall. This condition should be included in the differential diagnosis in female patients. A 32-year-old woman with a 2-year history of a painful persistent lump in her right groin was referred to the general surgeons by her general practitioner. She was referred with a diagnosis of a suspected inguinal hernia. MRI excluded a hernia and exploration of the groin and subsequent histology confirmed the lesion to be an endometrial deposit.
Endometriomas are a rare cause of abdominal wall pain. We report a case of a port site endometrioma presenting with an umbilical swelling. The patient underwent a laparoscopy for pelvic endometriosis 6 months previously and presented with a swelling around her umbilical port site scar associated with cyclical pain during menses. Ultrasound scan reported a well-defined lesion in the umbilicus and MRI scanning excluded other pathology. As she was symptomatic, she underwent an exploration of the scar and excision of the endometrioma with resolution of her symptoms. Precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of endometrial seeding during laparoscopic surgery. All tissues should be removed in an appropriate retrieval bag and the pneumoperitoneum should be deflated completely before removing ports to reduce the chimney effect of tissue being forced through the port site. The diagnosis should be considered in all women of reproductive age presenting with a painful port site scar.
Synchronous primary malignancies are a rare finding which can be difficult to diagnose. We present the case of a 57-year-old patient with a high prostate specific antigen who was found to have prostate cancer on subsequent magnetic resonance imaging. A skeletal metastasis was also identified at the time, although no osteoblastic activity or sclerosis was identified on skeletal scintigraphy or computed tomography, respectively. The patient was started on hormonal therapy and follow-up imaging revealed the prostate cancer to have reduced in volume. Despite this, the skeletal metastasis appeared unchanged on magnetic resonance imaging and an F18-choline positron emission tomography study was negative. A computed tomography guided bone biopsy was organized and this demonstrated metastatic leiomyosarcoma. As a result, an F18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography study was performed to find the primary lesion which demonstrated a large malignant tumor within the calf. Subsequently, the patient was referred to a tertiary sarcoma unit. This case highlights the challenges involved in diagnosing and managing synchronous malignancies.
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