Case Study: Woman Diagnosed With Rare Uterus Complication After Suffering From Fever, Pain, And Urine Issues

The patient reached the hospital with a deteriorating health condition. She had been experiencing difficulty in breathing, anaemia, and other problems that prevented her from leading a normal life.

Earlier this week, a 42-year-old woman from Assam received treatment for a rare health condition that majorly affected her uterus. The condition, leptospira endometriosis, required a surgery after the patient presented debilitating symptoms. A team of doctors led by Dr Manisha Singh, senior consultant, gynaecology and reproductive medicine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru worked on her case to provide a comprehensive treatment that led to the patient being discharged two days after undergoing the major surgery. Read on to find out more about the case.

According to a statement shared by the hospital, the patient had been suffering from fever for over a month, along with difficulty in breathing, anaemia, abdominal pain and trouble passing urine. Her endometriosis further developed into an abscess after a leptospira (a spiral shaped bacteria) infection that spreads through contaminated water, soil or animal urine. The bacteria is said to enter the body through cuts and abrasions, with eyes, nose or mouth also being channels of entry. According to doctors, it is a disease that can pass from animals-to-humans.

As a result of her health complications, the woman's daily activities were severely impacted. Despite visiting multiple hospitals, her symptoms persisted and caused her a lot of discomfort. To seek relief, she reached Fortis and met with doctors there.

A thorough medical evaluation was done on her, which resulted in a leptospira endometriosis diagnosis. It shocked the patient, too, for it is a rare condition where an infection causes complications within the uterus. As such, a 14 cm cyst filled with pus, along with a mass in the ovary were found. Given the condition's severity and urgency, Dr Singh recommended laparoscopic surgery to take care of the infection and associated complications.

According to the doctor, when the patient came to her, she had a deteriorating health condition with a pre-existing endometriosis, which had developed into an abscess after contracting the leptospira infection.

"Given the gravity of the situation, we opted for laparoscopic surgery as it was the most effective way to remove the infected tissues. Laparoscopy, being minimally-invasive, allowed us to remove the infected fallopian tubes and ovaries, preventing further complications while minimising recovery time and scarring. The surgery was approximately an hour long...," the doctor said, as mentioned in the hospital statement.

The patient is now on the road to recovery.

As mentioned earlier, leptospira endometriosis is a rare condition, where the bacteria 'leptospira', typically associated with leptospirosis, infects the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. This infection can lead to endometriosis, a chronic and painful condition characterised by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus.

Research suggests that leptospira infection may trigger an immune response, causing the endometrial tissue to grow and become inflamed, leading to symptoms such as pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, and even infertility. Diagnosis is typically made through laboratory tests, and treatment may involve antibiotics and hormonal therapies. In this patient's case, however, a surgery was necessary because of associated complications.