Small cell ovarian carcinoma: a rare, aggressive tumor masquerading as constipation in a teenager with a fatal outcome

A 16-year-old female presented with symptoms consistent with constipation with no constitutional symptoms. Multiple different laxatives were attempted over 4 months and were unsuccessful. This thin female developed an impressively distended, nonacute abdomen within a 2-week period. Histology demonstrated a stage IV small cell carcinoma of the ovary. Her disease initially responded to treatment, but ultimately she relapsed and failed to respond to 2 other chemotherapy combinations, which were based on limited success found in the literature. She ultimately passed away 13 months after the diagnosis, demonstrating the poor prognosis and rapid spread of this rare disease.