Malacoplakie van de tractus genitalis bij een vrouw met postmenopauzaal bloedverlies

A 74-year-old woman had vaginal bleeding for 6 months with no other complaints. A suspected tumour was visible on the cervix and the endometrium was slightly thickened. Histological examination revealed Michaelis-Gutmann bodies. Following antibiotic treatment, the tumour and the bleeding disappeared. Malacoplakia is a chronic inflammation which usually arises in the urinary tract of older women and, rarely, in the female genital tract. The abnormality often appears to be a malignancy, although histologically it is an inflammatory condition. Histological examination is necessary to establish the diagnosis. Treatment usually consists of antibiotics and surgical excision.