Infected ovarian cyst in a homozygous beta-thalassemic patient.

An infected ovarian cyst in a thalassemic patient is rarely reported. We describe the case of a 22-year old woman with splenectomized homozygous beta-thalassemia who developed high fever and was diagnosed as having an infected ovarian cyst. The mechanisms which beta-thalassemia might predispose to infection and considered to be immunocompromized are discussed. She was given an intravenous antibiotic regimen and the infected ovarian cyst was removed. The difficulties in the diagnosis of an infected ovarian cyst is because of its rarity and the paucity of information on it in the literature. Therefore, the triad of ovarian cyst, immunocompromized host, and signs of infection with failure to identify any other source of infection should raise the suspicion of an infected ovarian cyst.