Recurrent pulmonary embolism with non-mobile thrombus in a patient with leiomyosarcoma of the left renal vein

Clinical experience and treatment strategy of leiomyosarcoma originating from the renal vein

Background

Leiomyosarcoma originating from the renal vein (RVLMS) is extremely rare. RVLMS lacks specific clinical manifestations and specific imaging features. This article discusses the epidemiological characteristics and diagnostic difficulties of RVLMS, as well as imaging features, differential diagnosis, treatment strategy, and prognostic factors of this disease.

Method

A case of RVLMS at our center, and 55 cases from the literature based on the PubMed search.

Results

Total operation time was 224 min, and total blood loss during the surgery was 200 ml. Resected tumor was irregular in shape, with negative margins. On the 6th day after the operation, the drainage tube was removed, and the patient was discharged from the hospital. Postoperative pathological results confirmed the renal vein leiomyosarcoma: spindle cell sarcoma, diffuse severe atypia, S-100 (-), SMA ( +), desmin ( +), CD34 (−), CD99 ( +).  Twenty-seven months after the surgery, the patient is alive, and without local recurrence or distant metastases.

Conclusion

Unspecific clinical manifestations and imaging features make the diagnosis of RVLMS difficult. Most patients are diagnosed intra-operatively or following postoperative pathology. Differential diagnosis with paraganglioma (PG) and retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) should be made. Early and complete resection is considered as the first choice of treatment, and whether to preserve the kidney is based on the patient's condition. RVLMS is highly malignant, and may recur locally or metastasize to distant locations; therefore, adjuvant therapy and regular follow-up should be carried out after surgery.

Multimodal ultrasonographic assessment of leiomyosarcoma of the femoral vein in a patient misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis: A case report

RATIONALE

Primary leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the vein is a rare tumor that arises from the smooth muscle cells of the vessel wall and has an extremely poor prognosis. This tumor can occur in vessels such as the inferior vena cava, great saphenous vein, femoral vein, iliac vein, popliteal vein, and renal vein; the inferior vena cava is the most common site. LMS of the femoral vein can result in edema and pain in the lower extremity; therefore, it is not easy to be differentiated from deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Moreover, virtually no studies have described the ultrasonographic features of LMS of the vein in detail.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We present a case of a 55-year-old woman with LMS of the left femoral vein that was misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on initial ultrasonographic examination. The patient began to experience edema and pain in her left leg seven months previously. She was diagnosed as having DVT on initial ultrasonographic examination, but the DVT treatment that she had received for 7 months failed to improve the status of her left lower limb.

DIAGNOSES

She subsequently underwent re-examination by means of a multimodal ultrasonographic imaging approach (regular B-mode imaging, color Doppler imaging, pulsed-wave Doppler imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography), which confirmed a diagnosis of LMS.

INTERVENTIONS

This patient was treated successfully with surgery.

OUTCOMES

This case demonstrates that use of multiple ultrasonographic imaging techniques can be helpful to diagnose LMS accurately. Detection of vasculature in a dilated vein filled with a heterogeneous hypoechoic substance on ultrasonography is a sign of a tumor.

LESSONS

The pitfall of misdiagnosing this tumor as DVT is a useful reminder.

Leiomyosarcoma of the renal vein: analysis of outcome and prognostic factors in the world case series of 67 patients

BACKGROUND

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumour. Some cases of leiomyosarcoma of the renal vein (LRV) have been reported in the literature, but no analysis of data and search for prognostic factors have been done so far. The aim of this review was to describe the LRV, to analyse overall survival (OS), local recurrence free survival (LRFS) and distant metastases free survival (DMFS) in LRV world case series and to identify significant predictors of OS, LRFS and DMFS.

METHODS

Cases from the literature based on PubMed search and a case from our institution were included.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients with a mean age of 56.6 years were identified; 76.1% were women. Mean tumour size was 8.9 cm; in 68.7% located on the left side. Tumour thrombus extended into the inferior vena cava lumen in 13.4%. All patients but one underwent surgery (98.5%). After a median follow up of 24 months, the OS was 79.5%. LRFS was 83.5% after a median follow up of 21.5 months and DMFS was 76.1% after a median follow up of 22 months. Factors predictive of OS in univariate analysis were surgical margins, while factors predictive of LRFS were inferior vena cava luminal extension and grade. No factors predictive of DMFS were identified. In multivariate analysis none of the factors were predictive of OS, LRFS and DMFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the literature review and presented case some conclusions can be made. LRV is usually located in the hilum of the kidney. It should be considered in differential diagnosis of renal and retroperitoneal masses, particularly in women over the age 40, on the left side and in the absence of haematuria. Core needle biopsy should be performed. Patients should be managed by sarcoma multidisciplinary team. LRV should be surgically removed, with negative margins.

Non-vena cava venous leiomyosarcomas: a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare malignant tumor of smooth muscle origin that generally stems from soft tissues and uterine tissue. However, a small percentage of this sarcoma subset may originate from the smooth muscle of vessel walls, most of which are of venous origin. Although the vena cava (VC) serves as the most likely source for these tumors and has been well described in the literature, there is limited information focused on non-VC LMS derived from large veins. The focus of this study was to consolidate the reports and previously published data of all non-VC LMS of venous origin to better characterize and describe this disease process.

METHODS

We reviewed information derived from 143 previously published cases.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

It was determined that women aged 60-69 years were most commonly diagnosed with this particular type of tumor, with the most common tumor site being the renal vein. Metastasis was present in 12% of this population at the time of diagnosis, and 32% of patients were alive 4 years later.