Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma in a patient with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma (PHL) is a rare tumor with a very low incidence of about 0.2%.

CASE SUMMARY

A 48-year-old diabetic, hypertensive, and morbidly obese female patient presented with a history of abdominal pain and weight loss for 2 mo. She had no history of fever, jaundice, or other liver disease(s). Clinical examination revealed a palpable mass in the epigastrium. Imaging evaluation with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed an ill-defined enhancing hyper vascular hepatic mass of 9.9 cm × 7.8 cm occupying the left hepatic lobe with evidence of central necrosis, compression effect on the left hepatic vein, and partial wash-out on delayed images. On further workup, the maximum standardized uptake value on positron emission computed tomography scan was 6.4, which was suggestive of malignancy. The remaining part of the liver was normal without any evidence of cirrhosis. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the mass showed smooth muscle neoplasm suggestive of leiomyosarcoma. After optimization for co-morbidities, an extended left hepatectomy was planned in a multidisciplinary team meeting. On intraoperative ultrasound, the left hepatic lobe was entirely replaced by a large tumor extending to the caudate lobe with a compression effect on the middle and left hepatic veins. Final histopathology showed nodular and whorled white tumor comprised of spindled/fascicular cells with moderate to severe pleomorphism and focal necrosis. The mitotic index was greater than 20 mitoses per 10 high-power fields. The resection margins were free of tumor. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) depicted a desmin-positive/ caldesmon-negative/discovered on gastrointestinal stromal tumor 1-negative/ cluster of differentiation 117-negative profile, confirming the definitive diagnosis as PHL.

CONCLUSION

This case report highlights the rare malignant mesenchymal hepatic tumor. To confirm PHL diagnosis, one requires peculiar histopathological findings with ancillary IHC confirmation. Management options include adequate/complete surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

A Unique Case of the Transformation of a Hepatic Leiomyoma into Leiomyosarcoma with Pancreatic Metastases: Review of the Literature with Case Presentation

Primary hepatic leiomyoma (PHL) is a rare entity, with very few cases reported in the literature. Even more rarely, until now practically undescribed, is the transformation of a hepatic leiomyoma into leiomyosarcoma with pancreatic metastases. Here, we report a single case of the progression of PHL in primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma, with clinical–surgical and histopathological features, and we conducted a review of the literature of related cases that can be found.

Large surgically resected leiomyosarcoma of the liver: a case report

Background

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma (PHL) is an extremely rare type of tumor. We herein report a case of a large surgically resected leiomyosarcoma of the liver.

Case presentation

A 69-year-old man with a feeling of epigastric compression was referred for examination of an abdominal mass. He had no history of liver disease or alcohol abuse. Liver function tests indicated Child-Pugh class A. Tumor markers were negative. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a relatively well-contrasted 12 × 11 × 8 cm tumor with well-defined boundary replacing the lateral segment of the liver alongside multiple intrahepatic metastases. Several nodules up to 12 mm were found in both lungs, suggestive of metastasis. SUVmax of the liver mass and lung tumor in positron emission tomography were 10.4 and 1.5, respectively. Hepatocellular carcinoma was primarily suspected. Lateral segmentectomy of the liver was performed to confirm diagnosis and prevent tumor rupture. Macroscopically, the lateral segment of the liver had been replaced by a lobular or multinodular tumor with a maximum diameter of 15 cm. In pathological findings, the tumor consisted of bundle-like proliferation of complicated banding spindle-like cells with clear cytoplasm, accompanied by storiform pattern and compressed blood vessels. Nuclear fission images were observed in 8/10 HPF. Partial necrosis was present, with associated venous invasion and intrahepatic metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining for tumor cells revealed desmin, α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), and h-caldesmon were all positive, informing a final diagnosis of PHL. The postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on the 12th postoperative day.

Conclusions

PHL is a rare malignant disease with relatively poor prognosis. To confirm a diagnosis of PHL, immunohistochemical analysis as well as histopathological findings is important. The preferred treatment is surgical resection, sometimes in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Further studies are needed to elucidate and better understand this uncommon clinical entity.

Case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma successfully treated with laparoscopic right hepatectomy

We describe the case of a 77-year-old woman, presenting with non-specific epigastric pain. Physical examination and subsequent imaging revealed the presence of a large mass in the right liver lobe. This was shown to be a leiomyosarcoma on biopsy histology. Further investigation confirmed this to be a primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma with no evidence of metastases. The patient underwent successful surgical resection. She is currently under imaging follow-up, with no evidence of disease recurrence.

Hepatic Myxoid Leiomyoma: A Very Rare Tumor

Introduction

Mesenchymal tumors of the liver are rare, and in this group, myxoid leiomyomas are even rarer. So far, only 2 cases have been reported in the literature.

Case Presentation

We aim to report the case of a 16-year-old female with a large lesion on the right hepatic lobe, grossly composed of gelatinous and heterogeneous tissue.

Discussion

Histological evaluation revealed a benign mesenchymal neoplasm with expansive growth, paucicellular, with monotonous and dispersed spindle and ovoid cells, positive for α-smooth actin and h-caldesmon, without atypia or mitoses, consistent with the diagnosis of primary myxoid leiomyoma.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma successfully treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: A case report

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is rare and reported sporadically, with less than 40 such cases have been reported in the English-language literature. Although it is reported to be associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Epstein-Barr virus infection, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, immunosuppression after organ transplantation, and hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis, the precise steps leading to leiomyosarcoma have not been fully identified. Therapeutic strategies include liver wedge resection or lobectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and liver transplantation; however, the prognosis of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is dismal.

CASE SUMMARY

We describe here the first case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma successfully treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The patient was a 68-year-old woman who presented with right upper quadrant pain and weight loss over the past 5 wk before admission. Abdominal computed tomography (commonly known as CT) and ultrasonography showed a mixed echoic mass measuring about 10 cm × 7 cm occupying the right lobe of the liver. Exploratory laparotomy was performed 1 wk after admission. The tumor was unresectable and biopsy was performed. Based on rapid frozen-section and histopathological examination, a final diagnosis of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma was established. TACE was performed 2 wk later. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 7 after the operation. Contrast-enhanced CT showed that the tumor significantly shrunk with satisfactory lipiodol deposition. The patient has been followed up for 82 mo until now, and no progressive enlargement of the tumor or distal metastasis was observed.

CONCLUSION

TACE is a safe and effective treatment for primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma. The therapeutic effect of TACE combined with surgical resection should be further assessed.

Primary Hepatic Leiomyosarcoma: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND/AIM

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare type of liver sarcoma with relatively poor prognosis, with about 50 cases having been reported in the literature. Potential origins of this tumor in the liver are the smooth muscle cells in the round ligament, intrahepatic blood vessels and intrahepatic bile ducts. There is no apparent sex predilection and there is a wide age range. The clinical presentation is not specific and the diagnosis depends on the expression of markers such as smooth muscle actin, desmin and vimentin by tumor cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Herein, we present a case of a bulky primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma in a 68-year-old female patient. The patient underwent resection of the exophytic mass en block with the hepatic segments III and IVB.

CONCLUSION

Surgical resection is the most effective among the treatment options.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma presenting as a thick-walled cystic mass resembling a liver abscess: A case report

RATIONALE

Hepatic leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor, and in rare instances, its combination with fever may lead to misdiagnosis of liver abscess. In our case, the presence of the tumor was considered by the presence of blood vessels through the observation of hepatic tumor wall.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 38-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with a liver abscess in a local hospital consulted our institution by complaining left upper quadrant pain and fever. The diagnosis was questioned in our workup, since no obvious inflammatory marker was found in the circulation, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a huge thick-walled mass in the right liver with multiple tortuous vessels within the wall.

DIAGNOSIS

Imaging revealed a neoplastic lesion rather than liver abscess. The enhancement of the solid tumor tissues was reduced during the portal phase and delayed phase, which was consistent with a wash-out enhancement. The histopathologic and immunohistochemical results confirmed the diagnosis was primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma. A pulmonary nodule during the postoperative follow-up was diagnosed as metastatic leiomyosarcoma tumor through surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

A right hepatectomy was performed to cure the hepatic mass. In the follow-up, a metastatic tumor in the lung was resected, followed by chemotherapy.

OUTCOMES

Lung metastasis and liver recurrence occurred at 25 and 39 months after liver surgery, respectively. Then the patient was lost to follow-up.

LESSONS

Leiomyosarcoma is associated with a dismal prognosis, but outcomes for these patients may be improved by the combined surgical resection and chemotherapy.

Primary Hepatic Leiomyosarcoma: Histopathologist's Perspective of a Rare Case

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is a rare primary mesenchymal tumor of the liver requiring exclusion of any other primary site of origin and histological and immunohistochemical exclusion of other hepatic/extrahepatic tumors with spindle cell morphology. Only about 70 cases are reported in the English literature and many of these tumors have predisposing conditions in the form of immunosuppression or associated malignancies. The occurrence of this tumor in the immunocompetent individual is also known. Histomorphology of this tumor shows a spindle cell lesion which needs to be distinguished from other spindle cell lesions of this region. The main diagnostic challenge of this tumor lies in its rarity, lack of awareness and morphological mimickers in the given site. A complete range of immunohistochemical markers is required to distinguish the lesion from its close morphological mimickers. Here, we discuss a case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma in an adult female patient with detailed histomorphological differentials and respective immunoprofiles.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare tumor. The diagnosis is difficult, and its etiologic factors have not been clarified. A 63-year-old woman with numerous cysts in her kidneys and liver was diagnosed with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Several members of her family also had ADPKD. She underwent treatment with tolvaptan to inhibit cyst growth and slow the decline in kidney function. Eight months after the start of the therapy, she was hospitalized with fatigue and fever of unknown origin. Diagnostic imaging showed a very large hepatic tumor, and histologic examination of a fine-needle biopsy specimen revealed the tumor to be malignant. Differentiation between carcinoma and sarcoma was difficult based on the histological findings. The tumor was thought to be excisable; therefore, hepatic resection was attempted. At the time of surgery, as the tumor had grown larger than when imaged, complete resection was impossible. However, a part of the tumor was resected. Histopathological and immunohistological examinations of the surgical specimen confirmed a primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma. Whether the tumor was associated with the presence of ADPKD remains unclear, however, this is the first report of the combination of these two diseases in a patient.

Sarcomas of abdominal organs: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings

Sarcomas originating from abdominal organs are extremely rare, and literature in which investigators focus on their imaging features is scarce. This article aims to review the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging features of these rare tumors and to help in clinical diagnosis. Various sarcomas (eg, angiosarcoma, undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, carcinosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) originating, respectively, from different abdominal visceral organs (liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, adrenal gland, uterus, and prostate gland) are reviewed along with cases we encountered.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: Case report and literature review

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma are rare tumors with less than 30 cases reported in the English literature. Non specific presentations and often diagnosis delayed until they reach a large size, is the norm with therapy leading to an often dismal prognosis. A 67-year-old man presented complaining of abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass since Jan 2010. Abdominal ultrasonography and abdominal computed tomography revealed a large tumor in the left lobe of the liver. Surgical exploration was undertaken and an extended left hepatectomy with extension onto the dorsal part of segment 8 preserving the MHV with partial resection of segment 6 was undertaken. The weight of the resected specimen was 1300 g of the left lobectomy specimen and 8 g of the segment 6 partial resection specimen. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were positive for smooth muscle actin stain. The patient is on regular follow up and is currently 9 mo post resection with no evidence of recurrence. We report the case of a resected primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma and emphasize the need for a global database for these rare tumors to promote a better and broader understanding of this less understood subject.

Unusually young age distribution of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: case series and review of the adult literature

Background

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is a rare disease diagnosed in older aged adults with a median age of 58 and occasionally in children with a history of immunosuppression.

Methods

From 1998 to 2009, 215 patients were diagnosed with primary hepatic malignancies at our institution, 4 of which were diagnosed with primary hepatic sarcoma (1.8%). Three cases were primary hepatic leiomyosarcomas (LMS) and one case was primary undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver; median age 30 (range 20-39) years.

Results

One patient is currently 12 months post-resection with no evidence of recurrence. Two patients passed away at 19 days and 22 months from small for size liver and tumor recurrence respectively.

Conclusion

We have presented 3 cases of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma diagnosed at our institution with an unusually young age distribution and no evidence of immunosuppression. These cases highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of this rare tumour.

Primary hepatic myxoid leiomyosarcoma: a case report and review of the literature

Sarcomas of the adult liver are unusual neoplasms, and can sometimes pose a difficult differential diagnosis. The authors report a myxoid spindle cell tumor arising in the liver of a 26-year-old woman. Histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analysis demonstrated features of smooth muscle differentiation. Neoplastic nuclei were positive for estrogen receptor-beta and androgen receptor, but not estrogen receptor-alpha or progesterone receptor. Based on the large size of the tumor and the presence of conspicuous mitotic activity, the diagnosis of myxoid leiomyosarcoma was made. This case represents the third documented example of this tumor in the liver. The differential diagnosis in relation to this particular site of origin is discussed.

Myxoid leiomyosarcoma of the liver

This is the first report of a myxoid leiomyosarcoma arising in a cirrhotic liver. The tumor was resected from a 64-year-old man. On gross examination, it was soft and hemorrhagic. The tumor was composed of deceptively benign-looking smooth muscle cells with clear cytoplasm suspended in a myxoid stroma with foci of hemorrhage. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy confirmed that this was a smooth muscle cell neoplasm. The abundance of glycogen and ultrastructural signs of smooth muscle differentiation were considered consistent with an immature smooth muscle cell phenotype consistent with the diagnosis of myxoid leiomyosarcoma. Since myxoid leiomyosarcomas are aggressive tumors, it is important to recognize them histologically and also bear in mind that these tumors can occur even in unusual extrauterine locations such as a cirrhotic liver.

A case of primary myxoid leiomyosarcoma of the liver

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is very rare and no primary myxoid leiomyosarcoma in the liver has been reported yet. Most cystic space-occupying lesions in the liver are benign in nature. But, rarely, malignancy could appear as a cystic lesion by ultrasonographic examination. A 64-year-old woman with a huge cystic mass detected by hepatic ultrasonography was diagnosed as primary hepatic myxoid leiomyosarcoma by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies after various image studies and fine needle aspiration biopsy of the liver mass.

[Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma in a patient with gastric non-Hodgkin lymphoma]

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the liver is a rare entity and fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the medical literature. Even more unusual is the association with another previous tumour. We report the case of a 84-year-old man who had been treated for a gastric non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years previously. He presented with a painful mass in the right upper abdomen. An ultrasound scan showed a large mass in the right lobe of the liver and chest radiography showed pulmonary metastases. Liver biopsy was performed and immunohistochemical analysis revealed a malignant leiomyosarcoma. We discuss this case and review the available literature.

Mesenchymal tumors of the liver

Primary angiosarcoma of the liver accounts for up to 2% of all primary liver tumors and is the second most common primary malignant neoplasm of the liver. Approximately 10 to 20 new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States and the prevalence varies from 0.14 to 0.25 per million. In an autopsy series from Chicago, one hepatic angiosarcoma was noted for every 30 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma.