Florid diffuse peritoneal deciduosis mimicking carcinomatosis in a primigravida patient: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

A case of a 27 year old G1P0 female with a dichorionic, diamniotic twin pregnancy presenting with premature rupture of membranes found to have omental caking and diffuse yellow-tan peritoneal nodules, clinically suspicious for carcinomatosis. The case work-up showed this to be an example of florid-diffuse peritoneal deciduosis mimicking carcinomatosis which has since resolved 4 months postpartum.

Keywords: Deciduosis; carcinomatosis; decidua; peritoneal; pregnancy.

Figure 1

A: Low Power (original magnification x40) view of the lobular architecture. B: High Power (original magnification x400) view of the decidual cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Note the degenerating cell in the upper middle field and the mixed inflammatory infiltrate.

Figure 2

A: Decidual cells mimicking signet ring cells with eccentrically placed nuclei (original magnification x400). B: Decidual cells mimicking “strap cells” of rhabdomyosarcoma with cytoplasmic striations (arrow) (original magnification x400).

Figure 3

Immunohistochemical stains showing the decidual cells to be focally positive for AE1/AE3 (A: original magnification x200), and positive for CD10 (B: original magnification x400) and vimentin (C: original magnification x200).