Challenges of diagnosis and management of postpartum choriocarcinoma In resource limited settings: A case report from a tertiary Hospital of Western Kenya

Abstract

Choriocarcinoma is a rare occurrence in pregnancy. It is a highly curable malignant tumour that arises from trophoblastic cells within the uterus. However, the timely diagnosis of choriocarcinoma following birth is challenging, especially in low resource settings because most clinicians are not aware about the existence of the disease following uneventful pregnancy and birth. This report discusses the case of a 28 years old patient, para 2, diagnosed with choriocarcinoma two months after uneventful vaginal delivery at term. She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy, followed by chemotherapy treatment; and succumbed to her disease. It highlights difficulties encountered on diagnosis and management of postpartum choriocarcinoma in particular context of resource-limited settings