Idiopathic ovarian vein thrombosis: a rare cause of abdominal pain

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a rare but potentially serious condition that affects mostly postpartum women. It has also been associated with other conditions, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, malignancy, sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, and recent pelvic or abdominal surgery. It is critical to recognize and treat this condition as early as possible to avoid the potential complications of the thrombosis and adverse sequelae such as infection and sepsis. We report a case of idiopathic OVT in a previously healthy premenopausal woman presenting with sudden onset groin pain. Nephrolithiasis was high on the differential, so a computed tomography abdomen/pelvis was done, which showed OVT. Patient was admitted to the gynecology service for intravenous antibiotics and for anticoagulation. Patient did well and was discharged after 2 days on Coumadin and oral antibiotics. Ovarian vein thrombosis is a rare condition with a number of serious and life-threatening complications. Therefore, not only is a high level of scrutiny required, but also an increased index of suspicion is essential for diagnosis of OVT and prevention of these dangerous outcomes.