Leiomyosarcoma of the lumbar spine: case report

Presentation, management and outcome of primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Primary spinal leiomyosarcoma (PSL) is extremely rare. A case is presented, followed by a systematic review establishing the consensus on presentation, diagnosis, management and outcomes. Comparison being made with metastatic spinal leiomyosarcoma (MSL).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligibility criteria was decided upon before the literature search was conducted. Data were extracted and analysed.

RESULTS

397 articles were identified, 25 articles conformed to the eligibility criteria. 34 cases were included in the analysis. PSL had a female preponderance (69.2%) with back pain being the most common presenting symptom (60.9%). Neurological signs were present in the majority (69.6%) with tumours typically being in the thoracic spine (46.9%). Diagnosis was primarily made using MRI (64.7%) and CT (55.9%), with a histological sample being obtained in all cases. Most patients underwent operative management (91.2%) with variable use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies. Operative approach differed greatly and outcome following surgical management was stated in 48.4% of cases, all noting an improvement from presentation. Patient follow up was limited (median 7 months), with the majority of patients being free of disease (43.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

PSL diagnosis is challenging with PET-CT and histopathological sampling playing an important role. There is a limited evidence base for the treatment strategies employed but surgical management is key with generally good outcomes. Prognosis for PSL would appear to be better than MSL. There is scope for more dedicated research in PSL and MSL.

Leiomyogenic tumor of the spine: surgical treatments and long-term outcomes of 12 consecutive patients

OBJECTIVE

Leiomyogenic tumor of the spine is rare with limited published information. Here, the authors report the clinical features and long-term surgical outcomes and investigate the prognostic factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS).

METHODS

Twelve patients presented to the authors' institution for surgical treatment from January 2005 to December 2018. The clinical characteristics and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed, and the DFS rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to identify the potential prognostic factors, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 49.7 ± 12.9 years (range 22-73 years). Four patients underwent marginal en bloc resection, and 8 patients underwent conventional piecemeal resection. Pathological diagnosis revealed leiomyosarcoma in 9 patients and leiomyoma in 3 patients. Three patients had tumor recurrence at a mean follow-up of 10.4 months (range 7.0-15.0 months), while 4 developed metastases at an average of 13.8 months (range 5.5-21.3 months) postoperatively. During the mean follow-up of 33.7 months (range 9.6-78.5 months), the estimated 1- and 5-year DFS rates were 66.7% and 38.2%, respectively. Albumin loss > 20 g/L after surgery, Ki-67 positivity > 10%, and piecemeal resection were correlated with worse DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical management of spinal leiomyogenic tumors is challenging due to the high rate of recurrence and metastases. En bloc resection should be performed in eligible patients. Albumin loss > 20 g/L and the Ki-67 index may be independent factors affecting prognosis.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine treated with total en bloc spondylectomy: the first case in Thailand-a case report and literature review

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare type of malignant soft tissue tumor and also one of the most aggressive soft tissue sarcomas. It commonly occurs in uterus, abdominal viscera, retroperitoneal space and soft tissue of the extremities. Primary osseous leiomyosarcoma is a rare condition. Furthermore, primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine is extremely rare. Only few cases have been reported. However, the treatment and outcomes remains controversial. Therefore, the objective of this case report is to illustrate the management of this extremely rare disease by using total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) procedure, which is one of a suitable option for surgical resection of the spinal tumors. In this study, we presented an unusual case of a 61-year-old female, who was diagnosed as primary leiomyosarcoma of the twelfth thoracic spine with liver metastasis, treated with total en bloc spondylectomy of the twelfth thoracic vertebra followed by chemotherapy. On last follow-up, 6 months after the surgery, the clinical outcome remained in good condition and no signs of local recurrence. In conclusion, primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine is an extremely rare and difficult to diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry studies are very important for confirmation of the diagnosis. Standard treatment remains controversial. However, surgical resection is still treatment of choice. One of the most effective surgical options is TES, which give the better outcome and minimize local recurrence, if indicate.

Primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma masquerading as a nerve sheath tumour

A 47-year-old woman presented with symptoms of low back pain and weakness in bilateral lower limbs. MRI of the spine revealed a mass arising from T11 vertebra involving neural foramina at bilateral T11-12 and right T10-11 levels with extension to the right paravertebral region. Suspecting a nerve sheath tumour, she underwent posterior spinal decompression, stabilisation and debulking, following which her neurological symptoms resolved. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed a leiomyosarcoma. A month later she developed sudden paraparesis and MRI revealed an increase in size of the tumour with cord compression and displacement. She underwent a repeat spinal decompression and debulking procedure after which she received adjuvant radiotherapy via volumetric modulated arc therapy, to a total dose of 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks. MRI performed 2 months later revealed complete response and she is disease free for the past 5 months.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the bone was firstly reported by Evans and Sanerkin in 1965, whereas primary leiomyosarcoma of the vertebra is extremely rare. Because of the rarity of primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma, the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcome still remain controversial. Here we report a special case of primary leiomyosarcoma in the thoracic vertebra.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 47-year-old female patient was admitted to our institution with the chief complaint of persistent back pain for 4 weeks. She had no symptoms of numbness, weakness, pain, and abnormal sensation in her extremities.

DIAGNOSES

Neurological examination on admission revealed no obvious abnormality. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a bone destruction of the T11 vertebral body and the right pedicle. Therefore, primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma was suspected. Pathological hematoxylin and eosin staining of the resected tumor revealed a diagnosis of polymorphic undifferentiated sarcoma. Furthermore, to identify the subtype of this sarcoma, the immunohistochemical staining of the tumor was performed with each of the various antibodies and the results are epithelial membrane antigen (-), H-caldesmon (-), desmin (+), smooth muscle actin (+), S-100 (-), myogenin (-), pan-keratin (-), and Ki-67 (positive rate: 20%). Finally, the patient was diagnosed as primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma.

INTERVENTIONS

the anterior corpectomy and autogenous iliac bone graft with instrumentation combined with the posterior spinal canal decompression and fusion with the pedicle screw system were performed through an anterior-posterior union approach.

OUTCOMES

Neither clinical symptoms nor signs of tumor recurrence were detected within the follow-up of 6 months. In addition, 11 cases of the primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma reported in the literature were reviewed and summarized.

LESSONS

Exclusion of metastatic leiomyosarcoma by various imaging modalities and histopathological examinations, especially the immunohistochemical staining with various antibodies against the epithelial and mesenchymal cell markers, are critical for establishing the correct diagnosis of the primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma. Surgical resection, especially the total en bloc spondylectomy, is the main treatment option with a good outcome, albeit with a limited follow-up duration.

Primary multiple osseous leiomyosarcomas of the spine metastasizing to the skull

Primary osseous leiomyosarcoma of the spine is a very unusual condition, with only few cases being reported in the literature. In fact, this type of tumors arises from the smooth muscle cells and occurs usually in the uterus and the gastrointestinal tracts. If the spine should be involved, it occurs generally as a metastatic location. Location to the spine as a primary site is exceedingly rare. We present the case of a 37 years old female patient, with multiple spine levels involvement - to vertebral body and to posterior aspects of Vertebra, causing spinal cord compression syndrome. A secondary location to the skull was diagnosed one month later. Through a literature review, we analyze various aspects in the diagnosis and management of this rare entity.

Osteosarcoma of the spine: prognostic variables for local recurrence and overall survival, a multicenter ambispective study

OBJECTIVE

Primary spinal osteosarcomas are rare and aggressive neoplasms. Poor outcomes can occur, as obtaining marginal margins is technically demanding; further Enneking-appropriate en bloc resection can have significant morbidity. The goal of this study is to identify prognostic variables for local recurrence and mortality in surgically treated patients diagnosed with a primary osteosarcoma of the spine.

METHODS

A multicenter ambispective database of surgically treated patients with primary spine osteosarcomas was developed by AOSpine Knowledge Forum Tumor. Patient demographic, diagnosis, treatment, perioperative morbidity, local recurrence, and cross-sectional survival data were collected. Tumors were classified in 2 cohorts: Enneking appropriate (EA) and Enneking inappropriate (EI), as defined by pathology margin matching Enneking-recommended surgical margins. Prognostic variables were analyzed in reference to local recurrence and survival.

RESULTS

Between 1987 and 2012, 58 patients (32 female patients) underwent surgical treatment for primary spinal osteosarcoma. Patients were followed for a mean period of 3.5 ± 3.5 years (range 0.5 days to 14.3 years). The median survival for the entire cohort was 6.7 years postoperative. Twenty-four (41%) patients died, and 17 (30%) patients suffered a local recurrence, 10 (59%) of whom died. Twenty-nine (53%) patients underwent EA resection while 26 (47%) patients underwent EI resection with a postoperative median survival of 6.8 and 3.7 years, respectively (p = 0.048). EI patients had a higher rate of local recurrence than EA patients (p = 0.001). Patient age, previous surgery, biopsy type, tumor size, spine level, and chemotherapy timing did not significantly influence recurrence and survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteosarcoma of the spine presents a significant challenge, and most patients die in spite of aggressive surgery. There is a significant decrease in recurrence and an increase in survival with en bloc resection (EA) when compared with intralesional resection (EI). The effect of adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapeutics, as well as method of biopsy, requires further exploration.

Leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the cervical spine causing a C6 compression fracture: A case report

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor derived from smooth muscle cells, which commonly metastasizes to the lungs, liver, kidney, brain and skin. The current study presents the case of a 42-year-old male who presented with progressive neck pain and numbness of the left arm. Spinal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed osteolytic lesions of numerous vertebrae (C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, T1 and T2). With regard to the C6 vertebra, total destruction of the vertebral body resulted in vertebral collapse and subsequent spinal cord compression. The patient underwent an anterior C6 corpectomy, reconstruction with a mesh cage filled with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and open PMMA infusion to C5 and C7. The surgical procedure significantly alleviated the symptoms and obtained a reliable reconstruction. The clinical follow-up examination at 13 months was uneventful with the exception of mild numbness of the left hand since the surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of leiomyosarcoma recurrence presenting in the cervical spine, and the present study provides insight into the use of a surgical technique that has rarely been used in the cervical spine.

Outcomes after surgery for spinal metastatic leiomyosarcoma

OBJECT

Leiomyosarcoma is a smooth-muscle sarcoma that rarely metastasizes to the spine. Its clinical course is variable, although patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma can experience prolonged survival as compared with patients with more aggressive metastatic tumors. The authors report their single-institution experience in the surgical treatment of patients with leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the spine.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the electronic medical records was performed to obtain details on clinical management and outcomes for patients who had undergone surgical intervention for metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the spine. The few articles available in the current literature on this topic were also analyzed.

RESULTS

Eight patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the spine underwent surgical management between 2005 and 2011. Six patients (75%) had improvement in their Nurick grade. Patients who had presented with pain as a primary symptom experienced significant relief. Five patients (63%) had lesion recurrence, and 4 underwent repeat surgery at a mean of 10.2 months after their initial surgery. The mean duration of survival was 11.7 months (range 3.3-23.0 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Leiomyosarcoma rarely metastasizes to the spine. However, surgical intervention can relieve pain and improve neurological function. Given the potential for prolonged survival, aggressive management should be considered in well-selected patients.

Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma to the Spine Complicated With Thrombocytopenia

Uterine leiomyosarcomas do not frequently metastasize to the bone, and spinal column metastases are even less common. Surgery is the treatment of choice. Adjuvant radiation with or without chemotherapy depending on the extent of disease can be beneficial. We present the case of leiomyosarcoma metastasis to the spine with a previous history of known primary disease complicated by thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia can present surgical challenges, but can also be present concurrently unrelated to the primary disease. A thorough evaluation is needed to rule out any underlying lymphoproliferative disorder or microangiopathic phenomenon.

Multifocal osteolytic lesions within lumbar spine in a middle-aged Chinese woman: a benign metastasizing leiomyoma?

STUDY DESIGN

Case report.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a case presented as osteolytic lesions involving 2 inconsecutive lumbar, which was pathologically proved to be of smooth muscular origin.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) could be diagnosed when the neoplasm showed some malignant behavior, whereas its histologic image revealed very low malignance. A 47-year-old woman presented with low back pain and numbness of the left lower extremity attributable to osteolytic lesions in the second and fourth lumbar vertebral bodies, which was subsequently diagnosed as STUMP. A benign metastasizing leiomyoma was highly suspected.

METHODS

Clinical, pathologic, and radiologic characters of the patient with STUMP confined within the lumbar spine were retrospectively reviewed. A mini review was also conducted.

RESULTS

We describe the first spine-confined case of STUMP.

CONCLUSION

Significant new information in the growing literature of this rare and newly identified diagnosis has addressed the need for orthopedists to consider the STUMP diagnosis.

Partial spondylectomy for primary leiomyosarcoma of C2 vertebra

STUDY DESIGN

A primary leiomyosarcoma located on the left side of the C2 is reported. Left-sided partial spondylectomy and anterior reconstruction with posterior stabilization was performed by a two-staged operation.

OBJECTIVE

To emphasize the occurrence of primary leiomyosarcoma and the importance of proper stabilization in the upper cervical spine.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the bone and the primary leiomyosarcoma of the spine is extremely rare. Radical tumor excision is the goal in case of vertebral leiomyosarcoma, but to both gain surgical access to the upper cervical spine and obtain anterior reconstruction is challenging.

METHODS

Leiomyosarcoma of the C2 in a 25-year-old woman with mild neurologic deficits is reported. A left-sided partial spondylectomy of C2 was performed. The defect of the vertebral body was reconstructed by expandable titanium prosthesis, and posterior craniocervical fixation was performed by the polyaxial screws in the lateral masses and rod/plates.

RESULTS

The surgical margin was very small. The pathology of the tumor was reported as leiomyosarcoma. No sign of local recurrence or metastasis was evident 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Leiomyosarcoma, although rare, should be kept in mind as one of the possible diagnoses when a patient with an upper cervical tumor is presented and complete tumor removal must be the goal.

En Bloc Resection for Primary and Metastatic Tumors of the Spine

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of en bloc resection for spinal tumors is unknown because most of the current evidence is provided by small, single-institution clinical series or case reports.

OBJECTIVE

To combine all previously published reports of en bloc resection for primary and metastatic spinal tumors, to describe the overall pattern of disease-free survival, and to investigate potentially prognostic factors for recurrence.

METHODS

A complete MEDLINE search for all articles reporting survival data for en bloc resection of spinal tumors was undertaken; 44 articles met inclusion criteria from which 306 eligible patients were identified.

RESULTS

There were 229 cases of primary tumors with a mean follow-up of 65.0 months and 77 cases of solitary metastatic tumors with a mean follow-up of 26.5 months. Median time to recurrence was 113 months for the primary group and 24 months for the metastatic group. Disease-free survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 92.6%, 63.2%, and 43.9%, respectively, for the primary group and 61.8%, 37.5%, and 0%, respectively, for the metastatic group; 5-year disease-free survival rates were 58.4% for chordoma and 62.9% for chondrosarcoma. After adjusting for covariates, age, male sex, metastatic tumors, and osteosarcomas were significantly associated with a tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the largest published series of patients undergoing en bloc resection for spinal tumors. Median time to recurrence reached almost 10 years in patients with primary tumors; however, it was only 2 years in those with isolated metastatic tumors.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of extragnathic bone: clinicopathologic features and reevaluation of prognosis

CONTEXT

Leiomyosarcoma most commonly involves the female genital tract and occasionally arises within the retroperitoneum, abdominal cavity, or the soft tissues of the extremity. Presentation as a primary bone tumor is extraordinarily uncommon, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. The prognosis is traditionally thought to be dismal. However, this conclusion is largely based on individual case reports and small series, in some of which the pathologic diagnosis is not well documented.

OBJECTIVE

To review the clinicopathologic features of well-established cases of primary skeletal leiomyosarcoma and reevaluate the prognostic implications thereof.

DATA SOURCES

A National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed search of the English language literature identified 104 authenticated cases of primary leiomyosarcoma of extragnathic bone. An additional 3 cases are reported and illustrated herein.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately half of all patients with primary skeletal leiomyosarcoma either presented with metastatic disease or developed metastases within 1 year of diagnosis. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 59% and 41%, respectively, comparable to that of other skeletal sarcomas. As for other bone and soft tissue sarcomas, high histologic grade and tumor stage are predictive of poor outcome.

Bone sarcoma of the spine

Primary malignant bone tumors of the vertebral column, i.e., bone sarcomas of the spine, are inherently rare entities. Vertebral osteosarcomas and chordomas represent the largest groups, followed by the incidence of chondro-, fibro-, and Ewing's sarcomas. Detailed clinical and neurological examination, complete radiographic imaging [radiographs, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)], and biopsy are the decisive diagnostic steps. Oncosurgical staging for spinal tumors can serve as a decision-guidance system for an individual's oncological and surgical treatment. Subsequent treatment decisions are part of an integrated, multimodal oncological concept. Surgical options comprise minimally invasive surgery, palliative stabilization procedures, and curative, wide excisions with complex reconstructions to attain wide or at least marginal resections. The most aggressive mode of surgical resection for primary vertebral column tumors is the total en bloc vertebrectomy, i.e., single- or multilevel en bloc spondylectomy. En bloc spondylectomy involves a posterior or combined anterior/posterior approach, followed by en bloc laminectomy, circumferential (360 degrees) vertebral dissection, and blunt ventral release of the large vessels, intervertebral discectomy and rotation/ en bloc removal of the vertebra along its longitudinal axis. Due to the complex interdisciplinary approach and the challenging surgical resection techniques involved, management of vertebral bone sarcomas is recommended to be performed in specific musculoskeletal tumor centers.

Surgical management of primary and metastatic sarcoma of the mobile spine

Object

Sarcomas of the spine are a challenging problem due to their frequent and extensive involvement of multiple spinal segments and high recurrence rates. Gross-total resection to negative margins, with preservation of neurological function and palliation of pain, is the surgical goal and may be achieved using either intralesional resection or en bloc excision. The authors report outcomes of surgery for primary and metastatic sarcomas of the mobile spine in a large patient series.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients undergoing resection for sarcomas of the mobile spine between 1993 and 2005 was undertaken. Sarcomas were classified by histology study results and as either primary or metastatic. Details of the surgical approach, levels of involvement, and operative complications were recorded. Outcome measures included neurological function, palliation of pain, local recurrence, and overall survival.

Results

Eighty patients underwent 110 resections of either primary or metastatic sarcomas of the mobile spine. Twenty-nine lesions were primary sarcomas (36%) and 51 were metastatic sarcomas (64%). Intralesional resections were performed in 98 surgeries (89%) and en bloc resections were performed in 12 (11%). Median survival from surgery for all patients was 20.6 months. Median survival for patients with a primary sarcoma of the spine was 40.2 months and was 17.3 months for patients with a metastatic sarcoma. Predictors of improved survival included a chondrosarcoma histological type and a better preoperative functional status, whereas osteosarcoma and a high-grade tumor were negative influences on survival. Multivariate analysis showed that only a high-grade tumor was an independent predictor of shorter overall survival. American Spinal Injury Association scale grades were maintained or improved in 97% of patients postoperatively, and there was a significant decrease in pain scores postoperatively. No significant differences in survival or local recurrence rates between intralesional or en bloc resections for either primary or metastatic spine sarcomas were found.

Conclusions

Surgery for primary or metastatic sarcoma of the spine is associated with an improvement in neurological function and palliation of pain. The results of this study show a significant difference in patient survival for primary versus metastatic spine sarcomas. The results do not show a statistically significant benefit in survival or local recurrence rates for en bloc versus intralesional resections for either metastatic or primary sarcomas of the spine, but this may be due to the small number of patients undergoing en bloc resections.

Primary paraspinal leiomyosarcoma invading the cervical spinal canal successfully treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy

✓A primary paraspinal leiomyosarcoma invading the spine is an exceedingly rare neoplasm that may clinically mimic a schwannoma. The authors report a case involving a 45-year-old man with a primary leiomyosarcoma of the cervical paraspinal musculature that invaded the spinal canal at C1–2 and subsequently metastasized to the lungs and pancreas. Aggressive treatment consisting of resection of the primary tumor, adjunctive radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and surgical debulking of metastatic disease resulted in local tumor control at the primary site and long-term survival of the patient.

Leiomyosarcoma metastases to the spine

✓Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant smooth-muscle tumor that rarely metastasizes to bone. It is extremely uncommon for osseous metastasis to be the initial presentation of leiomyosarcoma or to be the initial manifestation of recurrence in patients with a history of leiomyosarcoma. The authors have treated four cases of metastatic leiomyosarcoma with the lesion initially presenting in the spine, and a fifth case of disseminated leiomyosarcoma that involved the spine. In their report, they highlight the cases of two of these patients and provide tabular data for the remaining three.

The authors performed a comprehensive review of the literature on spinal leiomyosarcomas and retrospective chart reviews of five surgically treated patients in whom a spinal metastatic leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed.

Their series consists of five women who ranged in age from 36 to 47 years (mean age 43.2 years). Four patients had known, or presumed, uterine primary lesions, whereas one harbored a retroperitoneal primary tumor. These lesions generally appear as lytic foci on imaging studies, but variable imaging characteristics were observed. All cases were managed aggressively: four patients underwent posterior/posterolateral decompression and fusion, and one underwent anterior–posterior en bloc resection and fusion. In all cases preoperative symptoms resolved. Two patients died 9 and 13 years after initial presentation. The remaining patients are alive and neurologically intact.

Metastatic spinal leiomyosarcomas tend to symptomatically involve only one spinal level at the time of diagnosis and are known to recur locally. These lesions commonly affect women in early middle age, and long-term survival, even in those with systemic metastatic lesions, is better than that seen in individuals with more aggressive spinal metastases. Attempted gross-total resection with fusion, as opposed to minimal palliative decompression, is recommended.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the vertebra: Case report and review of the literature

A case of primary leiomyosarcoma of a thoracic vertebra associated with a compression fracture in a 75-year-old woman was preoperatively thought to be granulation tissue. Surgical decompression was performed and the histological and immunohistochemical studies established the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. Based on the clinical and radiological examinations, metastases were ruled out. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the vertebra is extremely rare and in that site it is considered to have a relatively poor prognosis.