A Disseminated peritoneal melanosis in an Ethiopian woman diagnosed with ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma

Abstract

This is the case report of a 71-year-old woman presented to gynecology out-patient department with abdominal swelling of 1-year duration. A clinical diagnosis of a large abdominopelvic mass with gross ascites likely arising from the ovary and a high index of an advanced ovarian cancer was made. She then underwent a successful cytoreductive surgery with the team of surgeons lead by a senior gynecologic oncologist. The intraoperative findings on top of the preoperative clinical diagnosis, showed a diffuse dark pigmentation involving the greater omentum, the visceral peritoneum, and serosa of the large and small bowel segments. The histopathology revealed a moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with benign peritoneal melanosis. We are reporting this extremely rare event with less than 17 cases reported in the world literature and it is the first of its kind reported in an Ethiopian woman. The case will be detailed and the literature shall be reviewed.