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

Benign leiomyoma with multiple metastases to vertebrae and calvarium: An index case with comprehensive review of endocrine targets

"Benign" metastatic leiomyomas (BML) are indolently growing metastatic tumors which mostly associate with uterine leiomyomas in women in reproductive ages. The reason to define these lesions as "benign" despite metastasis is their pathological features with low mitotic counts, lack of or minimal nuclear atypia, pseudocyst formation, and coagulative necrosis unlike leiomyosarcomas. Despite lack of pathological malignant features, they may cause significant morbidity and even mortality. Here, we describe a BML case with metastases to vertebrae and skull bones. Vertebral and skull metastases of BMLs were very rarely reported. In treatment of these tumors, hysterectomy and GnRH modifier treatments are widely employed. GnRH agonists act by desensitization and downregulation of the GnRH receptors, while GnRH antagonists act via the canonical competitive blockage. These treatments reduce FSH and LH levels, thereby reducing the systemic levels of sex steroids which stimulate leiomyoma growth. However, leiomyomas inherently harbor aromatase activity and synthesize their own estrogen; hence, treatment with systemic estrogen antagonists may provide better tumor control. Another important factor in BML pathogenesis is progesterone, and both progesterone receptor antagonists and high-dose progesterone receptor agonists may reduce BML growth. Following surgical treatment of the calvarial mass and radiotherapy of the vertebral metastatic foci, our BML case was successfully managed with hysterectomy and anastrozole treatment. Higher awareness of BML cases and their molecular endocrinological features in the neurosurgical community may pave to develop better strategies for treatment of these tumors causing high morbidity.

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.

Concurrent benign metastasizing leiomyoma in the lung and lumbar spine with elevated standardized uptake value level in positron-emission tomography computed tomography: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is rare condition involving distant metastases secondary to benign uterine leiomyoma, and it is most commonly found in the lungs. It rarely metastasizes to the spine to cause osteolytic damage and spinal canal compression.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 51-year-old woman with low back and bilateral leg pain and paresthesia was admitted to our ward. She has a previous medical history of uterine leiomyomas. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed vertebral body osteolytic destruction and soft tissue mass in the L4/5 with a secondary lumbar spinal stenosis. Positron emission tomography computed tomography showed moderately intense accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in the L4/5 mass, as well as multiple nodules with increased metabolic activity in both lungs.

DIAGNOSES

Pulmonary and spinal BML.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent a computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung nodule and lumbar corpectomy, tumor excision, and vertebroplasty in the L4/5.

OUTCOMES

Pathologically, both pulmonary nodule and vertebral mass were diagnosed as leiomyomas without any malignant evidence. Estrogen and progesterone receptors were both positive in the metastatic tumors. The patient's symptoms completely disappeared after the surgery. The patient is currently receiving outpatient anti-estrogen tamoxifen treatment for a BML.

LESSONS

Through this case, we suggest that BML should be regarded as part of differential diagnosis in female patients with a previous medical history of uterine leiomyomas presenting with multiple nodules in any parts of the body.

[Benign metastasizing leiomyoma: An unusual cause of aggressive femoral bone tumor]

BACKGROUND

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare condition characterized by histologically benign "metastatic" smooth muscle tumors, which can affect women with history of uterine surgery. We report the case of a patient with bone metastases of BML.

CASE REPORT

A 78-year-old woman who had undergone uterine surgery six years before hospital admission, was diagnosed with large pulmonary and pleural metastases that necessitated surgical removal. Pathological examination allowed the diagnosis of BML with positive staining for estrogen and progesterone receptors. Three years later, a BML metastasis in the right femoral diaphysis was unexpectedly discovered and treated by osteosynthesis because of a high risk of fracture. Despite an aromatase-inhibitor treatment, new lungs lesions appeared in the next few months.

CONCLUSION

BML is a potential cause of aggressive, although histologically benign, bone tumor in women with a history of uterine surgery.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma: A review of current literature in respect to the time and type of previous gynecological surgery

INTRODUCTION

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disorder that affects women with a history of uterine leiomyoma, which is found to metastasise within extrauterine sites. The aetiology of BML remains unexplained. Because BML is rare, and most publications contain descriptions of single cases, no statistically determined time relations were found between the primary and secondary surgeries, which may have aetiological implications.

OBJECTIVES

To determine age before BML surgery, age during diagnosis of BML, type of prior surgery, and location of metastasis based on the literature.

METHODS

A systematic review of four databases (Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane) covering articles published from 1 January 1965 to 10 April 2016. The inclusion criteria were full-text articles in English and articles containing case reports. Articles in languages other than English (39), articles containing incomplete data (14), i.e. no information regarding the time of surgery and/or the site of metastasis, articles bereft of case studies (25), and articles with access only to summaries, without access to the complete text (10) were excluded. Of 321 titles identified, only 126 articles met the aforementioned criteria.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The mean age during primary surgery and BML diagnosis was 38.5 years and 47.3 years, respectively. The most common surgery was total hysterectomy. The most frequent site of metastasis was the lungs; other organs were affected less frequently.The site of metastases and their number were not related to the longer time span between the patient's initial surgery and occurrence of metastasis. The analysed data, such as the age during primary surgery, age during BML diagnosis, site and type of metastasis, do not provide us a clear answer. Thus, BML pathogenesis is most probably complex in nature and requires further multidirectional research.

Single benign metastasising leiomyoma of an inguinal lymph node

Benign metastasising leiomyoma (BML) is a rare benign disease associated with uterine leiomyoma and history of uterine surgery. It most frequently occurs in premenopausal woman, with a pulmonary localisation, and consisting of multiple nodules. We present an uncommon case of a 69-year-old woman with a single BML of an inguinal lymph node. CT scans of thorax and abdomen excluded other metastasis localisation. The patient was cured with surgical excision of the mass. Lymph node involvement has been reported incidentally in BML literature. Lymphangitic spread can be considered a possible mechanism of BML metastasis.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma in triple location: lungs, parametria and appendix

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) usually are situated in one organ, most often in lungs. BML patients typically have a history of uterine leiomyoma treated with hysterectomy, myomectomy or subtotal hysterectomy. The aim of the study was to present the case of a 53-year-old woman with triple location in the lungs, parametria and appendix. She had undergone a myomectomy 26 years earlier. In 2015, she was admitted to the surgical department because of abdominal pain, whereupon a cholecystectomy was performed. CT scans showed pelvic mass with pulmonary metastasis. Upon discharge the patient was referred to the Gynecology Clinic, where a laparotomy was performed. The intraoperative findings were: 1) uterus with multiple leiomyomas, 2) four tumors in the parametria, 3) tumor connected to the appendix. A subtotal hysterectomy, with a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, removal of the tumors from the parametria and appendectomy was performed. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis based on morphology and immunohistochemical staining (strongly positive for estrogen receptors and SMA, while Ki67 was very low, below 1%). Upon postoperative recovery, the patient was referred to the Thoracic Surgery Department. During the thoracotomy, multiple nodes, surrounded by lung parenchyma, were revealed. Wedge resection was performed, for localized pulmonary lesions, and sent for pathological examination. The final pathological diagnosis was benign metastasizing leiomyomatosis.

In conclusion, the triple location of BML could possibly be a result of a parallel different metastasizing mechanism, although it is impossible to exclude one mechanism, which may be the cause of the metastases in three locations.

What are MRI findings of Spine Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma? Case report with literature review

INTRODUCTION

Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disease that results from metastasis of uterine leiomyoma to distant sites with benign pathologic features. Spine BML is very rare so the information of its features and pathophysiology is seldom known.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We experienced a case of 42-year-old woman who presented with right buttock and leg pain with paresthesia. She had a surgical history of uterine myomectomy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine revealed a well-circumscribed mass lesion in the posterior compartment of the L4 vertebral body, with extension into the ventral epidural space and both foramina. The mass showed hypointensity on T1-, T2-weighted images and strong homogeneous enhancement on gadolinium enhanced T1-weighted images. Tumor removal was conducted, and permanent biopsy revealed the mass as leiomyoma. Nine previous spine BML reports, which are known for all, were reviewed along with our case. We collated the clinical information and MRI findings of spine BML to figure out its common denominators.

RESULTS

Premenopausal women, previous history of uterine myoma, myomectomy/hysterectomy, and lung BML seemed to be predisposing clinical factors. For the imaging findings, posterior vertebral body invasion with bony destruction, neural foramen invasion, and canal encroachment were shown as common denominators. Especially in MRI findings, low T1 and T2 signal intensities with strong homogeneous enhancement were their common features.

CONCLUSION

We gathered the fragmentary information of the spine BML for the first time, especially the MRI findings. Although spine BML is rare, it surely exists. Accordingly, spine surgeons should be suspicious of spine BML given its typical clinical history and MRI findings.