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Coccidioidomycosis mimicking ovarian cancer.

Ellis MW, Dooley DP, Sundborg MJ, Joiner LL, Kost ER

Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA. Michael.Ellis2@cen.amedd.army.mil

BACKGROUND: Dissemination of coccidioidomycosis to the abdominal cavity is rare. No previous case of peritoneal coccidioidomycosis has presented as an adnexal mass. CASE: We report a case of peritoneal coccidioidomycosis mimicking ovarian carcinoma. The patient presented with a complex ovarian mass, ascites, omental caking, and an elevated CA 125. The ultimate diagnosis was not made until frozen section histopathology was performed at staging laparotomy. CONCLUSION: Peritoneal coccidioidomycosis can present with the clinical, radiographic, and serologic features of ovarian cancer. Although essential for diagnosis and staging, radiographic studies and tumor markers have limited specificity. Coccidioidomycosis now joins other benign conditions that comprise the differential diagnosis of patients who present with what seems to be advanced ovarian carcinoma. Infectious diseases consultation is recommended for the management of peritoneal coccidioidomycosis.

Published 1 November 2004 in Obstet Gynecol, 104(5): 1177-9.
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