Ovarian cancer presenting as a metastasis to a trocar tract used for a gasless lift-laparoscopy to resect a benign ovarian cyst: an unusual case report.

BACKGROUND

Metastasis to a trocar tract (port-site metastasis, PSM) is an uncommon but serious complication that possibly compromises the prognosis of cancer patients treated laparoscopically.

CASE: A 42-year-old Japanese woman had a 20-cm benign right ovarian cyst resected using gasless lift-laparoscopy. Five years and eight months postoperatively, she noticed a three-cm subcutaneous tumor involving the trocar tract. She was also found to have a pelvic mass and an exploratory laparotomy revealed left ovarian cancer. Based on the histopathological findings, the subcutaneous tumor was diagnosed as a metastasis from the ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

This case suggested that PSM could occur without direct or indirect wound contamination during laparoscopic surgery.