Case report demonstrates disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis following laparoscopic myomectomy, highlighting the risk of benign smooth muscle seeding mimicking malignancy.
Disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis (DPL) is a rare benign condition in which scattered smooth muscle nodules resembling leiomyomas grow in multiple extrauterine sites within the peritoneal cavity mimicking malignant processes like peritoneal carcinomatosis. The etiology of this condition is unclear, but it is thought to be due to either iatrogenic or hormonal factors as studies found that DPL is more common in females of reproductive age and after undergoing laparoscopic surgery with morcellation of uterine leiomyomas as seen in our presented case. Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in the preoperative diagnosis and in accurately delineating the extent of the disease. Nevertheless, histopathology remains the gold standard for a definitive diagnosis. We report a case of a 38-year–old female patient with a prior history of laparoscopic myomectomy presenting 2 years later with non-specific left flank pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis and magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple enhancing nodular lesions scattered within the abdominal cavity. Given the prior history of laparoscopic myomectomy and radiological findings, DPL was suspected which was confirmed later by histopathological examination.
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AlNuaimi et al. (2026) studied this question.
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