RESUMEN
In this article, we present a case of retroperitoneal schwannoma localized in the pelvic cavity mimicking ovarian carcinoma. A 60-year-old woman presented with a feeling of pelvic heaviness and dyspareunia for 3 months. On physical examination, a hardened mass is palpated on the cul-de-sac of Douglas, measuring approximately 10 cm. The sonographic study showed a retro-uterine solid mass, containing cystic areas, measuring 14 cm. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a solid left tumor in the small pelvis, posterior to the uterus, suspicious of an ovarian malign tumor. Surgery revealed a retroperitoneal pelvic tumor and uterus and adnexa without macroscopic changes. Pathology examination of the pelvic mass confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. In the present case, it is emphasized that it is easy to misdiagnose a pelvic mass as an ovarian tumor. While prompt recognition of ovarian cancer remains essential, awareness of processes that mimic ovarian tumors can avoid potential misdiagnosis. The pelvis has a complex anatomy and there are some imaging signs that help assessing the origin of a mass, especially in cases of masses abutting the ovary.
RESUMEN
Previous experimental studies show that exposure to noise with high and audible frequencies causes multiple metabolic alterations, such as increased liver glycogen and triglycerides. However, the effect of exposure to sound with lower frequencies, such as high-intensity infrasound (frequency <20 Hz and sound pressure level >90 dB), on the liver lipid content is still unclear. As such, we aimed to study the effect of exposure to high-intensity infrasound of both normal and glucose intolerant rats on the liver lipid content. For this study, 79 wild-type male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: G1, no treatment, and G2, induced glucose intolerance. Each of these two groups was randomly divided in two subgroups: s (animals kept in silence) and i (animals continuously exposed to high-intensity infrasound noise). At three noise-exposure time-points (1, 6 and 12 weeks) the rats were sacrificed, the liver was excised and hepatic lipids extracted. Data analysis was performed using a two-way ANOVA (p = 0.05). No significant effects due to interactions between the several factors exist on the liver lipid content (p=0.077). Moreover, no significant effects due to infrasound exposure (p=0.407) or glucose tolerance status (p=0.938) were observed. Our study shows that continuous exposure to high-intensity infrasound has no influence on the lipid content of the liver of both normal and glucose intolerant animals. This finding reinforces the need for further experimental studies on the physiological effects of infrasound due to its possible hazardous effects on human health.
