Case Report: Xanthogranulomatous salpingo-oophoritis associated to endometriosis – are these different histologic expressions of the same disease?

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation is characterized by the presence of foamy histiocytes associated with other inflammatory cells like lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils. It is a rare inflammatory process, which has been more frequently described in chronic pyelonephritis and cholecystitis. Xanthogranulomatosis usually triggers a large distortion of the affected organ, which is secondary to the severe inflammatory response that characterizes this type of lesion. Only a few cases of xanthogranulomatous salpingo-oophoritis have been published to date. Here, we report the case of a xanthogranulomatous salpingo-oophoritis in a patient with endometriosis, suffering from chronic pelvic pain and long-standing infertility. The association between endometriosis and xanthogranulomatous inflammation is extremely rare and can possibly represent a severe histologic expression of this common disorder.