A Rare Case of Genital Salmonella - Abstract
Salmonella is a bacteria usually infecting the gastrointestinal system. However, other unusual
presentations can be encountered such as genital tract infection. This case is about a young
woman with suspected salpingitis and peritonitiswho was eventually treated for an infected
ovarian cyst by a Salmonella entericaenterica serovar Reading. She had a four-day history of
diffuse abdominal pain and presented increased white cell count and C reactive protein. She
was not sexually active and did not have any genital symptoms or diarrhea. The first computed
tomography revealed a right ovarian cyst and peritonitis but after an unsuccessful treatment
attempt with laparoscopic peritoneal lavage and antibiotics, a second computed tomography
revealed an increase of the cyst’s size compatible with an ovarian abscess. The patient was
successfully treated with surgical drainage of the cyst and antibiotics. Salmonella can infect an
ovarian cyst via the haematogenous or uro-genital route and cause unusual but severe clinical
presentations. Salmonella serovar Reading is rarely encountered in human medicine and this is the
first reported case of an ovarian cyst infected with this serogroup.