A young woman’s leg tattoo was the source of clinical confusion for US doctors after her suspected endometriosis turned out to be lymphadenopathy triggered by ink migration.

The 28-year-old presented with six months of worsening dysmenorrhea that had become constant and was exacerbated by bowel movements.

She had a history of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but said her recent abdominal pain was distinct from IBS-related pain.

The pain was slightly relieved with ibuprofen, stool softeners and “near-constant application of heating pads”, her doctors reported in Cureus.