A Perplexing Case of Genito-urinary Tuberculosis in an 83-Year-Old Woman with Increased Levels of Tumor Markers: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health problem, and extrapulmonary TB can present with no specific clinical or radiographic findings. Genito-urinary TB is often associated with elevated tumor markers and can be misdiagnosed as ovarian/fallopian tube carcinomas, especially in elderly female patients, as genitourinary TB commonly affects women of reproductive age. Objective: We present a rare case of genito-urinary TB in an elderly female patient who was initially misdiagnosed with ovarian cancer with metastasis. Case presentation: An 83-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes and hypertension presented with complaints of abdominal distension. Diagnostic imaging revealed lesions in the ovaries and omentum and tumor markers were elevated, leading to a suspicion of ovarian cancer with metastases to the omentum. The patient underwent a diagnostic laparotomy and surgical removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the lesion of the greater omentum. However, no malignancy was found during the morphological evaluation. Further histopathological examination confirmed the final diagnosis of genito-urinary tuberculosis, and the patient received anti-TB drugs. The postoperative period was uneventful, and tumor marker levels decreased. Conclusion: As the clinical presentation of genito-urinary TB can mimic ovarian cancer, a histopathological examination should be performed for differential diagnosis, thereby reducing the possibility of inaccurate treatment. This case report highlights the importance of considering genito-urinary TB as a differential diagnosis in elderly female patients presenting with elevated tumor markers, abdominal distension, and suspected genital malignancy. It is crucial to carefully evaluate these cases and explore the possibility of genital TB as an alternative diagnosis, given the overlapping clinical presentation. This highlights the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach that includes considering TB in addition to malignancy, even in the context of elderly female patients.