Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor located retroperitoneally with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis: report of a case

Retroperitoneal perivascular epithelioid cell tumours: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

The perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa) family of tumours mainly includes renal and hepatic angiomyolipomas, pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and clear cell “sugar” tumour of the lung. Several uncommon tumours with similar morphological and immunophenotypical characteristics arising at a variety of sites (abdominal cavity, digestive tract, retroperitoneum, skin, soft tissue and bones) are also included in the PEComa family and are referred to as PEComas not otherwise specified.

CASE SUMMARY

We present a 37-year-old female patient who underwent resection of an 8.5 cm × 8 cm × 4 cm retroperitoneal tumour, which eventually was diagnosed as PEComa of uncertain biological behaviour. Three years after the operation, the patient remains without any evidence of recurrence. A search was performed in the Medline and EMBASE databases for articles published between 1996 and 2018, and we identified 31 articles related to retroperitoneal and perinephric PEComas. We focused on sex, age, maximum dimension, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumour, follow-up and long-term outcome. Thirty-four retroperitoneal (including the present one) and ten perinephric PEComas were identified, carrying a malignant potential rate of 44% and 60%, respectively. Nearly half of the potentially malignant PEComas presented with or developed metastases during the course of the disease.

CONCLUSION

Retroperitoneal PEComas are not as indolent as they are supposed to be. Radical surgical resection constitutes the treatment of choice for localized disease, while mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors constitute the most promising therapy for disseminated disease. The role of mTOR inhibitors as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies needs to be evaluated in the future.

Recurrence of retroperitoneal localized perivascular epithelioid cell tumor two years after initial diagnosis: case report

CONTEXT

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal tumors. Adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy are administered according to the patient's clinical characteristics.

CASE REPORT

A 42-year-old female patient was operated to treat a retroperitoneal mass. The diagnosis was established as PEComa with benign behavior. Two years after the diagnosis, chest and abdominal computed tomography scans showed intra-abdominal recurrence and lymphangioleiomyomatosis in the lung. Treatment with everolimus was started. The disease stabilized in the third month of treatment, according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors.

CONCLUSION

PEComas are tumors with unpredictable behavior. Therefore, these patients require long-term follow-up, even in cases of correct diagnosis and benign PEComa.

Primary retroperitoneal perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasm: A case report

Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasm (PEComa) is a rare type of tumor, and primary retroperitoneal PEComa is rarer still. The present report discusses the case of a 51-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital following stiffness and discomfort in the upper right abdomen for longer than one month. Computed tomography identified a soft tissue mass in the rear right kidney, accompanied by clear cystic degeneration and bleeding. The borderline between the mass and the right kidney was not distinct. An enhanced scan revealed that the solid section of the mass was progressively enhanced. Following excision of the mass and the affected right kidney, the patient was pathologically diagnosed with retroperitoneal PEComa involving the right kidney. Short-term reexamination did not detect any recurrence.