Pelvic mass associated with raised CA 125 for benign condition: a case report

BACKGROUND: Raised CA 125 with associated pelvic mass is highly suggestive of ovarian malignancy, but there are various other benign conditions that can be associated with pelvic mass and a raised CA 125. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of 19 year old, Caucasian British woman who presented initially with sudden onset right sided iliac fossa pain and on imaging was found to have 9.8 × 4.5 cm complex cystic mass in right adnexa with a raised CA 125 of 657, which was initially thought to be highly suspicious of cancer but was subsequently found to be due to pelvic inflammatory disease on histology. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the fact that though a pelvic mass with raised CA 125 is highly suggestive of malignancy, pelvic inflammatory disease should always be considered as a differential diagnosis especially in a young patient and a thorough sexual history and screening for pelvic infection should always be carried out in these patients.