A case of pseudo-Meigs syndrome mismanaged as peritoneal carcinomatosis

Abstract

This paper reports the case of a woman with uterine fibroids and recurrent ascites, which were managed by her clinical oncologist as peritoneal carcinomatosis, and treated with repeated tapping and immunotherapy. She was finally referred to a gynecologist who treated her with a laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for severe anemia, aiming to remove her large fibroid as well as to exclude ovarian or uterine malignancy. Her symptoms disappeared after the surgery without recurrence of ascites at 2 years' follow-up. Although disseminated malignant ascites can exist in a patient with fibroids, clinicians should be aware of this rare pseudo-Meigs syndrome when no clinical evidence of malignancy was confirmed by investigations. Otherwise, it may mislead the diagnosis and management.

Keywords

• ascites
• pseudo-Meigs syndrome
• salpingo-oophorectomy
• uterine fibroids