A mixed presentation of septic pelvic thrombophlebitis: A case report

Abstract

Background: Septic pelvic thrombophlebitis (SPT) is a rare postpartum complication that is often difficult to diagnose and can be life-threatening. There are two types of clinical presentations of SPT described: ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) and deep septic pelvic thrombosis (DSPT).

Case: Here we present a case of a 26-year-old woman who presents 13 days postpartum with a mixed picture of OVT and DSPT. She presented to our hospital with fever and abdominal pain with extensive laboratory work-up that did not identify a cause. She was treated with antibiotics and anticoagulation and made a full recovery.

Conclusion: This case highlights the various ways in which SPT can present, complicating the diagnosis. This is of particular importance given that SPT is a predominantly clinical diagnosis.