Diagnosis and Management of a Ruptured Corpus Luteum Cyst: A Case Report from a Resource-Limited Setting

Corpus luteum cysts are common in women of reproductive age and especially in the setting of pregnancy. More often than not it poses a challenge in diagnosis as it is confused for ectopic pregnancies especially when it ruptures and sometimes when it coexists with ectopic, heterotopic and intrauterine pregnancies. In low-resource settings, the unavailability of laparoscopic services, demands that exploratory laparotomy be done for diagnoses and further management. In this case report, a female patient presenting with acute abdomen symptoms underwent exploratory laparotomy for a ruptured corpus luteum cyst in the setting of intrauterine pregnancy which was aborted before term. This had been diagnosed with sonography as a case of heterotopic pregnancy. The addition of laparoscopy to sonography and β HCG should be the cornerstone of diagnosis and would stipulate further patient management.