Ovarian fibrosarcoma: Diagnostic challenges and treatment options, a case report

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian fibrosarcoma is a rare cancer. In the literature, there have been very few occurrences of fibrosarcoma with ascites. The presence of ascites complicates the diagnosis further, and is associated with a poor prognosis and has been linked to chemoresistance and metastasis. We present this case of an ovarian fibrosarcoma with ascites to provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation and management of this pathology, which remains a challenge given the rarity of this entity. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who was referred to our unit, because of abdominal bloating, sporadic pelvic pain and abdominal distension. Ultrasound showed a heterogeneous mass over the right adnexa with ascites. Serum tumour markers were within normal limits. During surgery, a total abdominal hysterectomy plus bilateral adnexectomy was performed. The final histopathological findings showed a well-differentiated fibrosarcoma. The patient was followed up regularly and no recurrence was seen 2 years after surgery. DISCUSSION: Ovarian fibrosarcomas are uncommon cancers with no known risk factors. Diagnosis can be difficult, especially in the presence of ascites, and other diagnostic options should be considered. Pathological and immunohistochemistry investigations are required for a clear diagnosis. Early metastases and resistance to adjuvant chemotherapy characterize the prognosis of ovarian fibrosarcoma with ascites. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian fibrosarcoma with ascites is a rare and challenging ovarian disease, highlighting the need for postoperative pathology to make a clear diagnosis, complete cytoreductive surgery and individual consideration of adjuvant radiochemotherapy should be included in the management.