Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in male patients without history of sexually transmitted diseases
Copyright (c) 2025 Saman Taher Barzinjy (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- Articles
- Submited: September 25, 2023
-
Published: August 20, 2025
Abstract
Background and objective: Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome described as peri-hepatitis which is caused by pelvic inflammatory disease, typically seen among women who are in their reproductive years of life, the usual causative microorganisms are Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea, usually it will presented as right upper abdominal pain, it may be confused with biliary tract diseases.
Methods: Our case series reports were presented for the features of calculus cholecystitis between April 2018 and January 2021. A complete history was taken, a full physical examination was performed, relevant investigations were sent, incisions were made for the operations, and blood investigations were conducted after the operations to rule out the potential causes of perihepatitis.
Results: We reported three cases of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in male patients at the ages of 51, 59 and 43 years, their findings discovered during operations of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall bladder stones, past medical, past surgical and drug history of all three patients were negative and not significant even for gonococcal infections apart from hypertension of the first case and history of ERCP procedure for CBD stone extraction and obstructive jaundice for the second case, with hypothyroidism for the third case (he was on daily thyroxine 100 mg), all three patients underwent adhesiolysis of the bands and adhesions connecting the liver capsule with the anterior abdominal wall and diaphragm then the operations completed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Conclusion: Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome can be observed and diagnosed incidentally during laparoscopic procedures in male patients even without past history of gonococcal or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Metrics
References
- Shikino K, Ikusaka M. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2). [PMC free article] [PubMed] doi: 10.1136/bcr-2019-229326
- Khine H, Wren SB, Rotenberg O, Goldman DL. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome in Adolescent Females: A Diagnostic Dilemma. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2019; 35(7):e121-3. [PubMed]
- Wang PY, Zhang L, Wang X, Liu XJ, Chen L, Wang X, et al. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome: clinical diagnostic value of dynamic enhanced MSCT. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015; 27:1641–4. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nwanbong E, Dingum A. Acute pelvic inflammatory disease in Cameroon. A cross sectional Descriptive study. Afr. J Reprod Health. 2015; 19(4):87. [Google Scholar]
- Nishie A, Yoshimitsuk, Irie H, presentation of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome radiologic manifestation. J comput Assist Tomogr. 2003; 27:786-91.
- Kimball MW, Knee S.Gocnoccal perihepatitis in a male. The Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome N Engl J Med. 1970; 282:1082-4. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197005072821908
- Saurabh S, Unger E, Pavlide C, Fitz – Hugh – Curtis syndrome in a male patient, Journal of Surgical Case Reports. 2012; 2012(3):12. doi: 10.1093/jscr/2012.3.12
- Sharma JB, Malhotra M, Arora R. Fitz–Hugh–Curtis syndrome as a result of genital tuberculosis: a report of three cases. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2003; 82(3):295–7. doi: 10.1080/j.1600-0412.2003.820302.x
- Baek HC, Bae YS, Lee KJ, Kim DH, Bae SH, Kim DW, et al. [A case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a male. Korean J Gastroenterol. 2010; 55:203–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar].
- Kechagia N. Bersimis S. chatzipanagioton S. incedience and antimicrobial susceptibilities of genital mycoplasmas in out-patient women with clinical vaginitis in Athens, Greece. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2008; 62:122-5. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkn158
- Theofanakis CP, Kyriakidis AV. Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome. Gynecol Surg. 2011; 8(2):129–34.