Adolescent With Weight Loss and Abdominal Pain

A 13-year-old African American female presented to our emergency department with weight loss, acute on chronic abdominal pain, and a palpable pelvic mass on physical examination. A hemorrhagic ovarian cyst was noted on transvaginal ultrasonography, whereas laboratory evaluation confirmed a final diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. This article briefly reviews the emergency department approach to the differential diagnosis of weight loss, pelvic pain, and adnexal masses in adolescent girls with a concise summary of the clinical manifestations and laboratory testing for human immunodeficiency virus among adolescents.