TITLE:
Uterine choriocarcinoma: A gynaecological masquerader case report and review of the literature
AUTHORS:
Eguzo Kelech, Chisara C. Umezurike, Emmanuel Akwuruoha
KEYWORDS:
Choriocarcinoma; Chemotherapy; Human Chorionic Gonadotropin; Resource-Limited Settings
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Chemotherapy,
Vol.2 No.4,
October
31,
2013
ABSTRACT: Background: Choriocarcinoma is a rare clinical condition, and its diagnosis may be difficult, especially in resource-limited settings. Case Presentation: A 38-year old para 2 woman is with a 4-month history of intractable vaginal bleeding and offensive vaginal discharge, but without antecedent pregnancy. She had previously been managed at various tertiary medical institutions where several pelvic ultrasound scans and even histology of endometrial curette could not clinch the diagnosis. The diagnosis of choriocarcinoma was made by a serial strip-based pregnancy testing, which was still positive at 1:200 dilutions. She was treated with chemotherapy involving Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate and Folinic acid. Conclusion: The diagnosis of choriocarcinoma may be difficult especially when it develops ab initio without preceding abortion, molar or term pregnancy. In settings where serum hCG assay may be not available, the simple strip-based pregnancy test in dilution could be helpful in its diagnosis and treatment monitoring.