Unusual Case of Postmenopausal Diffuse Endometriosis Mimicking Metastastic Ovarian Malignancy

Clin Nucl Med. 2016 Feb;41(2):e120-2. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000001038.

Abstract

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic condition of the premenopausal years. However, postmenopausal endometriosis is rare (2.2%) and thought to be related to high level of circulating estrogen, especially in hormonal replacement therapy. We present a case of a 69-year-old postmenopausal woman, previously healthy and on no regular medication, with diffuse peritoneal endometriosis and bilateral ovarian endometrioma mimicking metastatic ovarian carcinoma on FDG PET/CT. Both ovarian endometrioma had low-grade activity, but more strikingly, there was diffuse FDG-avid peritoneal dissemination and gross ascites. Endometriosis should not be totally disregarded as a differential diagnosis even at postmenopausal status.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Endometriosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Multimodal Imaging*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Postmenopause
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18